Liar Liar
by enunciiate
Summary: Blair finds Pete Fairmont dead and naked at the Palace. Detective Bass and Archibald are on the case, but what happens when Blair is also determined to track down the cold-blooded killer? What happens when Blair becomes the target? AU. Please R&R!
1. Forgive Me, Forgive Me Not

**A/N:** This is my first attempt at a Gossip Girl story and is completely AU. Some of characters do not have the same relationships as they do in the show. You will notice changes in some of their last names. Chuck and Eric Bass are brothers as well as orphans. Bart Fairmont is the father of Vanessa and Pete Fairmont. His wife passed away long ago and he never remarried. He runs Fairmont Industries. Lily ended up with Rufus. This is their second marriage for both of them. He is currently a professor at Yale University. Their marriage caused the permanent breakup of Dan and Serena. The Waldorf-Rose family and the Archibald family remain the same. The only difference is that Howard is Nate's step-father. All relevant characters are attending Yale University. Chuck and Nate are the only exceptions as they are the handsome detectives in this story. Please review!

**Forgive Me, Forgive Me Not**

* * *

Rufus turned the lights back on as he finished his lecture. As usual, a few of his students had fallen asleep. He cleared his throat to get their attention.

"We start our in-depth discussion of Pride and Prejudice on Monday."

At the sound of his voice, the students collectively turned towards him. They all gave him a blank stare. Rufus sighed. He was hoping he wouldn't have to state the obvious.

"Clearly, you will need to have read the entire novel by then."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a student raising his hand. Rufus smiled when he finally pinpointed the student. Aaron Rose. He was undoubtedly one of his best students.

"Mr. Rose?" Rufus asked quite eagerly.

Aaron displayed a wide smile on his face before answering.

"Where do we leave our essays?"

Before Rufus could answer his question, the entire student body turned towards Aaron. Georgina, one of the worst students in the class, even went so far as to take out her pocket knife and point it in Aaron's direction. Intimidated, Aaron slunk down into his seat. Rufus, however, took no notice of the weapon in Georgina's hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Rose. Please remember to hand in your essays before you leave."

He gestured towards an empty envelope on his desk.

"And please don't take out your frustration on Mr. Rose after class. I would have remembered eventually," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

The students groaned. Some of them were muttering curses under their breath. Georgina slowly raised her hand. She had a sly expression on her face.

Reading her mind, Rufus answered her unspoken question. "No, Miss Sparks, bribes will not be accepted."

Georgina persisted and refused to put her hand down. Rufus let out a huge sigh. This had become a routine every time an assignment was due.

"Yes, Miss Sparks, that includes sexual favors of any kind."

Upon hearing his well-practiced answer, Georgina slowly lowered her hand as a satisfied smirk crept across her face. She enjoyed torturing her professors. That much she wouldn't deny.

* * *

Meanwhile, near the front of the room, Blair was rummaging frantically through her purse. She muttered quietly to herself.

"I swear I put it in my purse this morning! Where is that essay? Come on, Waldorf! Think!" she said with utmost frustration.

Her continuous mumbling was interrupted by Aaron, who carefully put his hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"Calm down and take a deep breath. Now, try to remember..."

Caught up in her moment of panic, Blair paid no attention to Aaron. She looked up momentarily from her purse. A look of anger passed over her face as she remembered the events of that very morning.

"Serena!" she exclaimed.

"Serena?" Aaron asked as memories of his relationship with Serena began to cloud his mind. How could she have dumped him in Buenos Aires?

"Serena."

Blair paused. She realized that Aaron's hand was still on her shoulder and slowly turned her head to the side to look at him. Sensing her irritation, Aaron removed his hand immediately. Blair leaned back into her chair.

"Dorota put that essay on my breakfast tray this morning. I remember taking it with me when I left. Serena!" she exclaimed. Again.

Blair slapped her hand on the table. The sudden noise caused some of the lingering students to look in their direction.

"Blair, I am _really _confused."

Blair rolled her eyes at him.

"I bumped into Penelope this morning. It must have been a diversion! Serena must have taken the opportunity to take the essay from my purse!"

Aaron took her by the shoulders and gave her a good shake.

"Let me spell this out for you. _You_. _Are_. _Paranoid_," he said, careful to enunciate every word.

He let go of her, but continued.

"Besides, why would Serena take that essay from you? She doesn't gain anything!"

"I'm glad stupidity isn't contagious or I would have caught it a long time ago. Seriously, Aaron?" Blair asked.

Aaron maintained a blank look on his face causing Blair to throw her hands in the air in frustration.

"No wonder Serena dumped you! I mean, why do _I_ even bother?"

Aaron opened his mouth, preparing to answer her question. Blair pursed her lips together and held up her hand to silence him.

"That was a rhetorical question?"

She started to gather her things as Aaron turned a bright shade of red. Hoping to redeem himself, Aaron decided to give Blair a suggestion.

"You should talk to Professor Humphrey. I talk to him all the time. He can be quite understanding."

Blair bit her tongue, trying hard not to lash out at her step-brother again. She sighed and taking his advice, began to make her way towards Professor Humphrey. Each step was harder to take. It was a well-known fact that she wasn't his favorite student, although she never truly understood why. She got good grades and worked hard for them! So, what was the problem?

"Blair?" Aaron asked, interrupting her thoughts.

She turned around abruptly to face him. Taping her foot against the carpeted floor, Blair waited for his question. She was hoping that he had already left.

"Do you know what Serena has planned for this weekend?"

Blair's cold expression remained unchanged. She _hated _answering this question at the end of every week. What made him think that she, of all people, would know of Serena's plans for the weekend? Had he been living under a rock?

"No, but a safe guess would be that none of her plans will involve _you_," she said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

With that, she turned and walked away from him, leaving him to his thoughts of Serena.

* * *

"Ah! Always a pleasure, Miss Waldorf. How may I be of assistance?" Rufus asked.

He wondered if she could detect the insincerity in his voice. She wasn't his best student, but she was a good student nonetheless. Besides, he only had a problem with her on a personal level.

Blair took a deep breath. Courage, Waldorf. Courage.

"I have a problem."

A tiny chuckle escaped from his mouth. "Don't we all? For example, Miss Waldorf, I have a problem with _you _dating my son."

There. He had finally said it. Blair was taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered from her initial shock. She composed herself.

"With all due respect, Professor Humphrey, I think Dan is old enough to make his own decisions."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I have to approve of the choices he makes."

He continued to be unmoved.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing then that he doesn't need your approval and neither do I."

Seeing Blair so worked up over his comment, Rufus chuckled. Again.

"Just don't break his heart. You think I don't know why you're dating him? He's just another one of those bullets you have loaded in your gun to take down Serena."

Blair felt the anger rise within her. How _dare _he? How could he make such a ridiculous assumption? Wait, what was _she _saying? After all, it had been her original motive, but she was passed that. Wasn't she? She took another deep, calming breath to prevent herself from killing Professor Humphrey right then and there.

"I need an extension on that essay, Professor Humphrey. I brought it to school, but this morning..."

Rufus interrupted her, knowing exactly what had happened that morning. "Don't worry, Miss Waldorf. I know what happened this morning. You have until tonight to bring me another copy of that essay."

Blair opened her mouth to argue, but closed it abruptly when she realized what he had just said.

"Really?" she asked in disbelief. "Thanks..."

"Don't be so surprised, Miss Waldorf. Despite my personal dislike towards you, I still need to be fair on a professional basis."

Upon hearing this, Blair could only nod.

"Right. Well, thank you. I'll bring another copy of my essay when I come over for dinner tonight."

A look of pain appeared across his face. Noticing his pained expression for the first time, she realized what she had just reminded him of.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to..." she said quickly.

Rufus remained silent as flashbacks of his fight with Lily began to haunt him. He remembered it all too clearly.

"So, should I leave the essay with Dan tonight or should I bring it to you directly? You _are _staying at the Palace, right? I'll just drop it off at the front desk?"

She honestly just wanted to get out of there. This conversation was getting awfully uncomfortable. Rufus continued to zone out, but could hear Blair's questions echoing faintly in the back of his mind. He hadn't meant to do what he did. Was Lily ever going to forgive him? It had only been a day or two, but he missed her already.

Being impatient, Blair snapped her fingers at him only a few moments later.

"Professor Humphrey?"

He could sense the irritation in her voice.

"That will be fine, Miss Waldorf, and I'd appreciate it if you kept my family affairs to yourself."

"Yes, of course," Blair stated as she made her way towards the door.

* * *

All of a sudden, Blair felt the air rush out of her lungs. She fell to the floor, inevitably taking all of her belongings with her.

"Watch where you're going, Waldork."

That voice was all too familiar. Serena. Blair slowly began to pick up her things as Penelope and Hazel circled around her, snickering. They had been _her _loyal followers until Serena had whisked them away, but it amazed her that every day, she cared a little less. She really wanted to make peace with Serena, but she wasn't making it easy. Who was she kidding though? There was still a little part of her that was unforgiving.

Taken over by her sudden thoughts of bitterness, Blair quickly walked past Serena only to give her a tiny push along the way. Unable to maintain her balance, Serena fell to the floor, taking Penelope and Hazel with her. Blair rushed over to them immediately.

"Oh no! Look what I've done now! How will I ever be able to live with the guilt? Here, let me help you up," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Serena reached out for her hand, but grasped the air instead. By that time, Blair was already at the door. She turned back towards them for a brief moment and smirked.

"That's cute, Slutrena. You _actually _thought I cared."

Penelope and Hazel helped Serena up, but Blair was already gone. The nerve! Who did she think she was?

* * *

"Serena! Just the person I wanted to talk to," Rufus exclaimed, making his way towards her.

"Your mother...Is she still...?"

"Mad at you? Ask her yourself! Do I have _messenger _written anywhere on my forehead?" she asked, her face etched with defiance.

Hazel laughed. "Nope!"

Penelope elbowed her causing Hazel to scream out in pain.

"That was a rhetorical question? God, Hazel, you are _so _dumb!"

Serena rolled her eyes at them. Sometimes she really wondered how both of them had gotten into Yale. Rufus, however, did not find the situation to be quite as amusing.

"You have better start showing some respect for me and your mother, Serena."

Serena scoffed. "I will when you two _deserve _it."

Rufus let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, Serena, I won't apologize for preventing you and Dan..."

Serena put up her hand to prevent him from going any further.

"Please. I'm over it. Anyone who could fall in love with Blair Waldork isn't worth my time."

It sounded harsh coming from her mouth, but it was also true. Every day, she missed Dan less and less. Before Rufus could say anything else, Serena walked away. Penelope and Hazel followed closely behind, taking their seats at the back of the lecture hall. Rufus sighed and cleared his desk. He quietly left the lecture hall, as students from the next class started to file in.

Lily. All he wanted to do was hear her voice. He took his cell phone out of his pocket, looked around to make sure he was alone, and quickly dialed Lily's number. After a few tries, Lily finally picked up her cell phone. As usual, she was busy planning a party. Rufus remained silent. He had no idea what to say to her.

Lily spoke into her cell phone. "Hello? Hello? Rufus? Is that you? Hello?"

Rufus continued to hold onto his cell phone until he heard the unmistakable monotonous beeping of the dial tone.


	2. The Rules Of Attraction

**A/N:** All of the characters are in their sophomore year at Yale University. Chuck and Nate are still the same age regardless of their careers. We will assume that their high school diplomas and their family connections allowed them to acquire said positions. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Reviews are highly appreciated!

**The Rules Of Attraction**

* * *

Chuck lay back in his chair and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Another case closed. Another perpetrator behind bars. He was getting good at this. He returned the case file to his filing cabinet and headed for the door. It was barely noon, but he needed the rest. He had spent the past week undercover on the streets of Brooklyn. The lack of sleep was definitely taking a toll on both his body and mind. His thoughts of rest brought a smile to his face only to be interrupted a few moments later by one of the interns, Daryl.

"Detective Bass! Congratulations on closing the case!" he said, ecstatic.

Chuck wrinkled his nose in confusion. He hadn't told anyone about closing the case. In fact, he hadn't even told Nate yet.

"I heard it from Amanda," Daryl said, ridding Chuck of his confusion.

Amanda. The other intern. That explained everything. That woman knew everything about everyone. In fact, there was a rumor a while back that Amanda was the notorious blogger Gossip Girl, although he had never been caught up in that world himself. Had the woman _ever_ heard of the word privacy? Chuck sighed.

"Thanks, Daryl. I'm actually about to take the rest of the day off."

"Sure thing! I'll be here to hold down the fort!"

With that, Daryl returned to his desk and continued with his paperwork. Seeing Daryl brimming over with such enthusiasm, Chuck couldn't help but recall his initial excitement for the field. He still loved the chase and it sure as hell felt good putting a criminal behind bars, but there were certain aspects of solving crime that he could certainly live without. Witnessing the pain of the immediate family was always too much for him to bear. If there was anything that hit him close to home, it was the pain of losing a loved one or in his particular case – loved ones. He slowly opened the car door and climbed in. Just as he was about to put his key into the ignition, a voice called out to him.

"Detective Bass!"

Chuck frowned. He just wanted some rest. Was that too much to ask? Reluctantly, he climbed out of the vehicle to address the voice. Claire Waters. He truly wondered if his day could get any worse.

"Detective Bass!"

Chuck rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Can I help you with something, Miss Waters?" he asked.

She trailed her well-manicured index finger along his arm suggestively. Chuck shivered at her touch. Could she _be_ any more obvious? He was getting tired of this. He had told her a thousand times that he wasn't interested.

"Unless this involves a homicide, I'm afraid I can't help you," he said as curtly as he could.

She paid no attention to his attempt to shun her, much to Chuck's dismay.

"Well, it could very well _become_ murder," she said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Regardless of his opinion of her, she _was_ still a citizen. He tried to act interested.

"How about you voice your concerns to Daryl? He'll look into it and contact me if it turns out to be a matter of importance."

She continued to protest, refusing to let go of his arm. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone waving at him. He didn't know that woman, did he? She was absolutely stunning. Soft wavy brown hair. Big brown eyes. A smile that could brighten anyone's day. And those legs! He could already feel himself breaking into a sweat. Apparently Claire noticed her beauty too because she pouted and whimpered at the sight of her. Not that he could blame her. Get a grip, Bass. Get a grip!

* * *

"Honey! I thought we had plans for lunch!"

Blair slowly walked over to the poor man. She had no clue who he was, but the least she could do was save him from _that_ piranha. He certainly looked like he needed the help.

"Sweetheart, how could I have forgotten?"

Good. He was playing along. She met him in an embrace. She must have clung onto him for a moment longer than she should have because he raised an eyebrow in her direction. Who _was_ this man and why did he have to smell so intoxicating? She knew coming over and helping him out was a bad idea. Think Dan Humphrey, Blair. Dan Humphrey.

"Claire, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend..."

He paused and blushed slightly. Remembering that they didn't actually know each other, she finished off his sentence for him.

"Blair. Blair Waldorf. So nice to meet you," she said confidently, secretly hoping that Claire wouldn't see through their facade.

Blair reached out her hand, but she didn't take it. Claire gave one warning glance in her direction and with that, she walked away. Blair continued to stand there. She could still feel his warm hand on the small of her back. He cleared his throat clearly uncomfortable with the situation himself and stepped away from her. She decided to speak up first.

"I have to go actually, but I'm glad I could help," she said awkwardly.

She could feel a mysterious vibe between them. She wondered if he could too. Her entire body was still radiating from his touch. And to think his hand had only been on the small of her back! Blair shook her head in hopes of expelling all inappropriate thoughts from her mind. No! Think Dan Humphrey, Blair. Dan Humphrey.

"Thanks, but I could have totally handled it myself," he said, preparing to climb back into his car.

Blair blinked at his response. _What?_ That arrogant son of a bitch! Suddenly, Blair found him to be disgustingly irritating. She found everything about him irritating. His soulful brown eyes. The sexy way his hair was piled on top of his head. His damn annoying perfect smug smile.

"The thanks part of that sentence would have been just fine," she snapped.

Without giving him a chance to retort, she walked away with her head held high. How _dare_ he! She had men lined up around the block who would have loved to have been in his shoes only a few moments ago! Even so, she couldn't stop thinking about him on her way back to Yale. She knew she shouldn't have wandered off campus during her free period. She just knew it.

* * *

Blair Waldorf. _The_ Blair Waldorf. He knew who _she_ was. She had only acknowledged his existence _once_ back in high school!

Chuck watched Blair walk away as he continued to sit in his car unmoved. He had definitely pissed the woman off. And what a woman at that. It wasn't as if he hadn't been grateful for her help, but he just didn't trust women - let alone Blair Waldorf. They were far too complicated. It was far better to piss them off than to lead them on.

He knew she had felt something in their embrace. He could see it in her eyes. He had to admit that he had felt something too, but who knew what ulterior motives she had had in mind? Personally, he preferred one-night stands with no strings attached. Now _that _was a way to live, but there was something intriguing about _this_ woman and apparently his body thought so too. He needed a shower. A cold shower.

* * *

"Are we having lunch anytime soon?" Vanessa asked, her stomach growling to accompany her question.

Dan turned towards her and laughed.

"Sorry, I said I would have lunch with Blair. I'd invite you, but..."

"You never know. She might warm up to me. She warmed up to _you_, Lonely Boy," she said, splattering some paint on his face in the process.

Dan jumped at the feel of the paint dripping down his face. He laughed and proceeded to splatter paint all over her overalls, causing Vanessa to let out a squeal.

"You look good in green, Fairmont, but seriously, let's try to keep the paint on the walls."

Vanessa smiled and turned back towards the wall, moving her paintbrush in repetitive circles.

"Speaking of which, why _are_ we painting the walls?"

Dan shrugged off her question.

"The director wanted to feature a new artist. Aaron is a photographer. I showed his work to the director and he approved, so we're redecorating the gallery to compliment his work."

Vanessa nodded, wanting to change the topic. For some reason, their conversations would always make their way back to Blair Waldorf. She could understand why he and Serena had to end their relationship in their senior year, but she never truly understood why Dan had started to date Blair after that. She _was_ Blair Waldorf, after all. What did Blair have to offer that she didn't? She was the one who had been with him through thick and thin.

She put on a fake smile and said quite bitterly, "Well, Blair must be _thrilled_ to have a perfect boyfriend such as yourself. You're even looking out for her step-brother."

Dan caught the bitterness in her voice, but laughed it off. He knew Vanessa had feelings for him. She had made that clear while he was dating Serena, but he saw her as a sister. Nothing more and nothing less.

"This is all for Jenny. She _did_ apply for that internship at Eleanor Waldorf designs. Maybe doing this will help secure the position."

Vanessa raised an eyebrow in his direction. He knew she didn't believe him. Of course, that hadn't been the real reason why he had introduced Aaron to the director, but he knew better than to factor Blair into the equation.

"Wow. All this to secure that position for Jenny? That doesn't sound like the Dan Humphrey I know," she spat.

He didn't know why, but for some reason what Vanessa had said completely ticked him off.

"Maybe you _don't_ know me, Vanessa," he blurted out.

She dropped her paintbrush on the floor in response to his statement.

"What?" she asked, an incredulous look on her face.

He stepped towards her.

"I'm sorry, Vanessa. I had no idea where that came from! Please forgive me."

She shook her head as tears started to brim in her eyes. She knew Dan would never fall for her, but this was too much.

Dan touched her arm lightly and resisted the urge to hold her in his arms and dry her tears. Great! He had really done it now. He felt horrible. They _were_ best friends after all. Vanessa stepped away from his touch, brushing his hand off of her arm immediately. Reaching down for the bucket of paint near her feet, she poured it without hesitation over his head.

"One thing I do know, Humphrey? You look _much_ better in green than I do."

With that, she left him standing there drenched in paint.

* * *

Blair made her way over to the courtyard and seated herself on the nearest bench. She pulled out her personal copy of Pride and Prejudice and began to read, allowing all thoughts of that ungrateful man escape her mind. She hadn't gotten too far into the novel yet, but Mr. Darcy already reminded her of a certain someone. There she was thinking of _him_ again. What was it about him that was so intriguing and why did he seem so familiar? He hadn't even introduced himself for crying out loud!

Before she could answer her own question, her cell phone began to ring. Several neighboring students turned around to look at her. One even rudely pointed to a no-cell-phones-allowed sign. Blair fumbled around her purse for a while, but managed to answer the call in the nick of time.

She whispered into her cell phone. "Hello?"

Dan was on the other end of the line. Without thinking, he whispered back.

"Hey. Why are we whispering? Are you in class?"

"No, I'm in the courtyard," she said, glancing around at the other students.

"Oh."

Realizing his stupidity, Dan returned to speaking in his normal voice.

"Wait. Why am _I_ whispering?"

Blair bit down on her lower lip to suppress a laugh, but to no avail. By now, the other students in the courtyard were getting quite irritated. She thought it was best to leave. She grabbed her purse and left, careful not to make a sound on the way out.

"Where are you supposed to be, Blair?"

Blair was drawing a blank to Dan's question. After a few moments of pondering, she realized that she was supposed to meet Dan for lunch.

"I am so sorry! It completely slipped my mind!" she cried out apologetically.

Dan remained silent causing Blair to catch her breath.

"Oh, come on! I said I was sorry! I got caught up analyzing Mr. Darcy! I'm on my way now."

Blair quickly started to head for the parking lot.

"Mr. Darcy? Isn't that your history professor?" Dan asked, forgiving Blair in the process.

He had no right to be mad at her for forgetting lunch when truthfully, the events of that morning had caused their lunch date to slip his mind as well. He hoped Vanessa would have at least answered his calls or replied to one of his numerous apologetic text messages.

"What? Absolutely not!" she squealed, disgusted by his assumption.

"I was talking about Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. I'm reading that novel for your dad's class? Dan, I'll be there in..."

Dan cut her off. "No need. I have to head back to the gallery anyway. I'll see you tonight?"

Blair felt extremely guilty about missing lunch and offered an alternative that Dan just couldn't resist.

"How about I make us lunch and bring it over to the gallery?"

There was a brief pause.

"Dan?"

"I'm sorry, Blair. I think there might be something wrong with the connection. Did you say _you_ were going _make_ lunch and bring it over here?"

Blair giggled. She could imagine the look on Dan's face. Horror and shock all mixed into one emotion.

"By how about _I_ make us lunch, I mean how about _Dorota_ make us lunch that I will conveniently take credit for."

Dan smiled into his cell phone.

"Deal. That takes care of any chances of food poisoning. See you in...?"

"I heard that and ten minutes," she said, climbing into the awaiting limo.

Closing his cell phone, he couldn't help but let out a tiny chuckle.

"Which is code for an hour if you're lucky..." he murmured to himself.


	3. I Broke It All In Two

**A/N:** I wanted to touch upon the past of various characters in this chapter without taking too much away from the present. Reviews are highly appreciated! Honesty really is the best policy. I can take criticism. I would also love to know whether you think this story is moving too slow or too fast.

**I Broke It All In Two**

* * *

After his encounter with Blair that morning, Chuck was anything but tired. He took a quick shower and proceeded to pour himself a scotch. He had never cared much for Blair Waldorf and her seemingly perfect world and neither had Nate. While Blair and her minions were busy plotting against their latest victims and attending various social functions, they had both been too preoccupied with piecing their broken lives together.

He took a deep breath, staring at the now empty glass before him. In a way, they were still broken. Nate was still desperately trying to determine the identity of his biological father and _he_ still refused to let go of the past. The accident had happened many years ago, but he could remember every detail like it was yesterday. The lingering smell of blood. The constant looks of sympathy he received even months after the accident. It would follow him for the rest of his life.

Suddenly, he heard the shrill sound of the door bell. Chuck let out a heavy sigh. It had better not be Claire Waters. He was _not_ in the mood. He swung the front door open abruptly only to find his best friend standing before him.

"Nathaniel, to what do I owe this pleasure?" he drawled.

Nate grinned and walked past him.

"I came to offer you my sincerest congratulations and my sincerest condolences," he replied in a cheerful voice.

Chuck raised an eyebrow in his direction. _What_ was he babbling about?

Nate answered his unspoken question. "The congratulations are for putting another criminal behind bars. The condolences are for your encounter with Claire this morning."

An involuntary shudder escaped from his body upon hearing her name. His gesture did not go unnoticed as Nate desperately tried to suppress a laugh.

"My sentiments exactly, but I also heard that a beautiful woman came to your rescue."

Chuck remained non-responsive for a moment before he said, "Blair. Blair Waldorf."

Nate could only stare at his best friend in disbelief.

"_The_ Blair Waldorf?"

He smiled and shook his head.

"That was a good one. You almost had me going there. Yeah, like Blair Waldorf would have walked up to Chuck Bass and..."

He trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished. Chuck took another swig of his scotch. Nate paused, choosing his words carefully before continuing.

"You're not laughing. Are you serious? She used to be a total bitch in high school!" he exclaimed, still recovering from his initial shock.

"Wouldn't even give us the time of day," Chuck added.

Nate shrugged.

"There _was_ that one time she paid attention to you. Anyway, people can change. I think we all mature. So, did you go with the piss-her-off mode or the lead-her-on mode?"

Chuck grinned, giving Nate his signature smirk.

"I pissed her off, of course. You know how I am with women."

Nate grinned, glad that the mood of the conversation had taken a lighter route.

"You mean avoiding all serious relationships like the plague?"

His face grew serious before continuing.

"Look, Chuck, I say this because I care. That accident was _eons_ ago! You need to move on. Just because _she_ was unfaithful doesn't mean all the women in the world are! When are you ever going to let this go and let someone in for once?"

"When you give up on finding out who your biological father is," Chuck snapped in response.

Nate frowned and Chuck knew he had gone too far.

He was quick to apologize. "Sorry. I..."

Nate cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Ah, forget about it. Listen, I'm here for you and Eric. If the two of you decide to..."

"Thanks. I'll let you know," Chuck interrupted, offering him a sincere smile.

Nate nodded in response and taking his cue, left Chuck to his thoughts. He wanted to forget the incident, but the memory ran too deep. He had been forced to grow up; to fend for himself at an incredibly young age. His mother had left him with nothing but irreparable pain and inerasable scars. He didn't trust women. He never would.

* * *

Her cell phone rang. Again.

"I said ten minutes, Humphrey. Not ten seconds."

Her statement was met by the shrill sound of her mother's voice.

"Blair! Do you always answer your phone like that?" Eleanor asked.

Trying to defend herself, Blair protested, "I thought you were Dan!"

She could almost see her mother pacing back and forth, an irritated look upon her face.

"It doesn't matter. I called to tell you that the internship position is still open and..."

Blair scoffed. "I'm not interested."

"And I have no interest in giving you that position either even if you wanted it. I wanted to ask you if you would like me to give the position to Jenny Humphrey," she replied.

Blair held her tongue momentarily before answering, "Hire Jenny."

"Done. I also want you to be the face of my new clothing line."

"You want _me_ to be your model?" Blair asked in disbelief.

"Yes, we'll go over the details tonight at the Humphreys."

With that, her mother left her to her shock. She beamed. This day seemed to be turning itself around after all. She had _never_ been perfect enough for her mother!

* * *

Nate walked straight into his office and headed towards his filing cabinet. He carefully removed the only maroon file and opened it, leafing gingerly through its contents. He found the photo of his biological father and held it in his hands, memorizing every feature of his face before setting it down again. He had finally learned the truth about a week ago, but he hadn't had the heart to tell Chuck or his mother. Chuck was still broken and his mother was perfectly content with her second husband, Howard. He knew better than to dig up old wounds. His mother had always tried so hard to shelter him from the truth, but he knew the truth now. After all these years, he had finally been able to track him down. His father had been right under his nose all this time and he had been completely oblivious! Nate let out a sigh. What was he going to do now?

* * *

Blair stepped out of the limo and made her way through the doors of the gallery. This was definitely turning out to be an amazing day. She was finally good enough for her own mother! Dan had certainly done wonders with the place. It almost looked decent. She had suggested that the walls be painted mauve, but he had insisted that green would better accentuate her step-brother's photographs. He was right. She hated when he was right.

At that moment, she spotted Dan in the corner unpacking some boxes. She made her way towards him only to be interrupted by her cell phone. Again. Was _everyone_ trying to get in touch with her today? She flipped open her cell phone, revealing a new text message from none other than Slutrena herself.

_**Nice essay, B. Hope you remembered to save a copy on your computer.**_

_**- S**_

Blair screamed out in frustration, causing Dan to look in her direction.

"I have had it up to here with Serena!"

She put her hand above her head to illustrate her point. Dan continued to stare at her unable to react.

Blair pursed her lips. "Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

Dan recovered from his stationary state.

"It's good to see you too. Uh, well, what did she do this time? She never does anything too drastic, Blair," he finished, returning to his task of unpacking those boxes.

"And how drastic would you say is stealing my essay to jeopardize my future and then rubbing it in my face?"

Dan paused and turned to face Blair.

"She wouldn't do that."

"Don't defend her!" Blair shouted angrily

"I'm not! I mean I am, but I'm not!"

Dan stopped himself from rambling.

"Look, I just...don't think Serena would stoop that low."

Blair scoffed. "Oh! Well, as long as _you_ don't think she would stoop that low."

She needed some air. She started to walk away, but Dan grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

He said in a soft whisper, "Blair, can we not argue about this? If you say she stole it from you, I believe you, ok?"

Blair couldn't help but break into a smile.

"Thanks. I'm sorry I snapped at you. This day has just been a bit of...a roller coaster."

Dan shrugged, resuming to the task before him.

"Not a problem. What else are boyfriends good for? So, did my dad give you an extension on that essay? I can talk to him for you."

"He gave me the extension. Even if he hadn't, I would never have allowed you to ask him of _anything_ for me," she stated.

Dan chuckled. Blair Waldorf was always too proud. It was one of the many reasons why he had fallen for her. Taking the opportunity, he decided to quote Pride and Prejudice.

"Are you too proud, Miss Waldorf? And would you consider pride a fault or a virtue?"

Blair laughed. "That I couldn't say."

Dan leaned in to kiss Blair only to be interrupted by a unified rumbling of their stomachs. Blair laughed again as Dan took a step back. He ran his hand awkwardly through his hair.

"Well, there goes that moment...and lunch would be...?"

Before Blair could answer his question, Dorota waltzed into the gallery.

"Your lunches, Miss Blair."

Blair gave her her sweetest smile.

"Thank you, Dorota. You have impeccable timing."

Dan took a bite into his sandwich as Dorota swiftly left the building.

"This is one hell of a sandwich. It tastes even better than the ones Serena used to make me."

Upon hearing her name, Blair stopped mid-bite. Realizing what he had just said, Dan reached out for Blair.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

Blair was deep in thought. She crinkled her nose as her insecurities began to resurface.

"Dan, if you hadn't...I mean, if Rufus and Lily hadn't gotten...would you and..."

She trailed off without finishing her question, but they both knew what she was craving to know. Dan could only remain silent. Responding to his lengthy silence, Blair grabbed her purse and turned to leave.

She was almost at the door when Dan finally decided to say, "Absolutely not."

Blair hesitated and stopped her hasty exit momentarily, but she knew that deep down, Dan still had strong feelings for Serena. She thought it was best to leave. She needed more air. Why couldn't she breathe?

She spun around to look in his direction and spat, "Are you trying to convince _me_, Dan? Or are you trying to convince yourself?"

Again, Dan averted his eyes away from her unable to answer her question. He winced as Blair slammed the door shut behind her. Dan walked over to the bay window, keeping his eyes on her until her limo faded into the distance. He sighed and leaned against the window pane. Serena. He needed to get a hold of himself. Serena was then. Blair was now. Filled with confusion and doubt and having lost his appetite, Dan returned to his work. He really wished he could talk to Vanessa about all of this. As if answering his inner prayer, a new text message set his cell phone off.

_**We need to talk. Meet me at the coffee shop.**_

_**- V**_

* * *

She knew that Dan wasn't completely over Serena. It was only natural. She felt slightly guilty that she had just used him to let out some of her bottled steam. She hated bringing up Serena. It would always bring back the memories of when they had been inseparable. They had been like sisters. Serena was like the sister that God had simply forgotten to give her. Blair closed her eyes then and slowly allowed herself to drown in her memories of Serena. Serena had always been there for her.

"_Cheer up, B! You totally have time to find another date. What about Nate Archibald?"_

_Blair raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Who?"_

_Serena jerked her thumb over her shoulder to answer her question. Blair turned to look at a handsome boy leaning against a brick wall._

"_No. I know who he is. He just stands there and broods all the time! Besides, I need a much hotter date. He needs to be hotter than Robert. I want him to regret not attending the charity ball with me and on such short notice too!"_

_Serena let out a chuckle._

"_Oh, B. You know Robert wanted to go with you. He can't help it if his cousin is in town and nobody wants to be her date."_

_Blair snorted. "I just don't understand why his mother is insisting that Robert escort her. There are plenty of other eligible..."_

_Serena rolled her eyes._

"_And yet, you still haven't been able to choose a suitable replacement date?"_

_Blair scoffed. "It is not a crime to have high standards Serena. You should try it some time."_

_Serena gave her a playful shove._

"_B, Dan is not that bad."_

_Blair gave her a glare._

"_What about him?"_

"_Who?" Blair asked, scanning the premises._

"_The one next to Nate Archibald. Chuck Bass, I think. Total womanizer, but will probably drive Robert up a wall. Rumor has it that they had a fallout a while back. B, what other choices do you have?"_

Blair opened her eyes at that very moment, interrupting her own thoughts. She knew why he had seemed so familiar now. Chuck Bass. How could she have forgotten that arrogant son of a bitch? The incident had been utterly _humiliating_.

"_Bass. You have the honor of accompanying me to the charity ball this evening," she said upon reaching him._

_Chuck slowly turned around. What the hell was Blair Waldorf doing talking to him?_

"_No thanks, but thanks for asking," he drawled._

_Blair stepped back in shock._

"_What? Do you know how many guys would kill to be in your position right now?"_

"_Good. Then you don't need me, now do you?"_

_He smirked as Blair felt the heat rise up into her cheeks._

The memory began to fade as Blair opened her eyes again. How could she have forgotten about him? That had been their one and only encounter, but she remembered it clearly now. Chuck Bass had rejected her and needless to say, the news had eventually made its way onto Gossip Girl. She had literally been embarrassed for a week because of that nobody, but Robert had convinced her not to enforce his total social destruction. Not that he had much of a social life for her to destroy. She should have just left him in the hands of that piranha this morning. _What had she been thinking?_


	4. Cold Feet, Lost Heat

**A/N:** Reviews are loved. The murder should occur in the next chapter. Please ask if you find the misunderstandings behind the feud confusing. The puzzle shouldn't be that hard to piece together. Thank you for taking the time to read this!

**Cold Feet, Lost Heat**

* * *

Dan walked into the coffee shop, the scent of fresh pastries momentarily numbing his mind. He quickly scanned the premises for Vanessa. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her waving at him. He breathed a sigh of relief. She had a wide smile stretched upon her face. This had to be a good sign. He headed in her direction and positioned himself beside her on the couch, careful to leave some personal space between them. Vanessa immediately offered him a steaming hot cup of coffee.

"A peace offering, Humphrey. We can't stay mad at each other for _too_ long," she proclaimed.

Dan observed her genuine smile and became overwhelmed with guilt. Taking the hot beverage gingerly from her hands, he set it down on the table before them.

"Vanessa, _I_ should be the one apologizing for my behavior this morning. It was..."

"No. I completely overreacted, Dan," she interrupted. "I don't know what came over me. I know you only said it in the heat of the moment."

"True, but that doesn't make it ok," he insisted.

Vanessa offered him a tiny smile. Dan looked straight into her eyes and she knew he meant business.

"So, I'm sorry and for the record, _you_ are my best friend. You know me better than anyone...even better than Blair."

She tried to hide it, but her face lit up at this. Dan let out a soft chuckle in response to her reaction.

"Just don't tell Blair I said that, of course. I'd like to live to see the next sunrise."

Vanessa laughed. "Then, I guess I'll let her know _after_ tomorrow's sunrise."

Dan gave her a weak smile. He was glad that Vanessa was talking to him again, but he was still thinking about his dilemma with Serena and Blair.

"Did you have an argument with Blair?" Vanessa offered.

Dan gave her an incredulous look.

"Wow. You really _do_ know me well."

Vanessa nodded. "I bet it involved Serena."

He hesitated before explaining the situation.

"Blair asked me if I would still be with her if..."

"...Rufus and Lily hadn't gotten married?" Vanessa asked, finishing off his thoughts knowingly.

Dan could only give her a grim nod.

"Well, Dan, you knew you would have to face this question sooner or later. Honestly, do you still love Serena?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation.

"And do you love Blair?" Vanessa urged.

Dan paused for a moment longer before answering, "Yes."

Vanessa picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip.

"I think you have your answer Dan. You didn't even hesitate when I asked you about Serena," she said, stating the obvious.

Dan put his head in his hands and closed his eyes. Why was he so torn between them? Serena. Blair. Blair. Serena. He lifted his head from his hands and slowly opened his eyes to face reality again.

"I love Serena _and_ Blair. I know I was with Blair out of comfort to begin with, but it became so much more than that."

Vanessa nodded sympathetically.

"Well, you better figure this one out. It's unfair to both of them."

Vanessa continued to stare at the misery on his face as he contemplated between the two. She remembered that day clearly. It was as if it had happened yesterday.

"_Dan, you said this was an emergency?" she asked, walking into his room and settling herself on his bed._

_Dan was fumbling with his tie in the mirror, but glanced back for a brief moment to acknowledge her presence._

"_Serena and I have been hanging by a thread..." he trailed off, his face etched with defeat._

_Vanessa did not respond and merely waited for him to continue._

"_I mean, how are you supposed to deal with a one-week wedding notice?"_

_For some reason, Vanessa thought that Dan and Serena were planning to get married in a week. Her eyes grew wide in terror, although she tried her best to hide it._

"_You're getting married in one week?"_

_Dan turned around. He looked completely dumbfounded._

"_What are you talking about? The wedding is for my dad and Lily?"_

_Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly recovered from her blunder._

"_I was just playing with you. So, when was this announced?"_

_Dan shrugged._

"_Serena and I received the news from Gossip Girl actually. She's been on a roll today with the rumor mill. In fact, this morning Blair was rejected by Chuck Bass."_

_Vanessa snorted and managed to force out in between giggles, "Someone actually had the nerve to reject the ice queen?"_

"_Ice queen is a bit harsh. I prefer the term misunderstood. I know she has a vulnerable side beneath that cool exterior," Dan replied._

"_Dan Humphrey! Are you falling for Blair Waldorf?" she asked, humor laced in her voice._

_Dan was about to deny her ridiculous accusation when he heard someone shuffling at the door. Apparently, Vanessa heard it too because she pulled herself up from the bed and abruptly swung the door open, hoping to catch the perpetrator by surprise. The only problem was that no one was standing in their presence._

"_We were probably hearing things. Anyway, I am not falling for Blair Waldorf. I am simply offering some insight into her character," he said, interrupting the silence._

_Dan undid his tie again, reaching down to try one with a more neutral tone._

"_What do you think about this one?" Dan asked, modeling the tie for his best friend._

_There was no mistake. She had seen a wisp of blond hair turning the sharp corner at the end of the hallway. Of course, it could have been a figment of her imagination. _

"_Yeah, that one looks great," she replied, her mind coming back to reality._

_Satisfied with her response, Dan turned to leave._

"_Thanks. Serena and I are eating out tonight. There is no way we're having dinner with the entire family-to-be. Who knew blending households before the marriage could be this awkward? Anyway, I think I want to end things on a good note with Serena tonight before everything gets too unbearable, you know?"_

_Vanessa could only nod numbly in his direction. It had to be her imagination._

The memory began to fade as she opened her eyes. She knew this was all a misunderstanding, but it was out of her hands now. It had been way too long. Meddling was not an option now. She glanced briefly over at Dan who was seemingly deep in thought. She wondered what he was thinking about.

* * *

He remembered that dinner date. He would never forget it. The breakup had been hard, but the reason behind it had made it even harder. He had never expected Serena to have moved on so quickly. His world had come crashing down that night.

_Serena had managed to arrive at the restaurant only moments before him. Dan Humphrey! Are you falling for Blair Waldorf? She had been replaying those words over and over again in her head. It was all she had overheard from their conversation, but it had been more than enough. Truthfully, she had been planning to end her relationship with Dan as well, but this was..._

"_Serena! I hope you haven't waited too long," Dan said, a little too cheerfully._

"_Oh no, I just arrived," she replied, pressing her lips together in slight irritation._

"_Uh, should we order?"_

_Serena shook her head._

"_Dan, I think we should just talk...about...us," she managed to choke out._

_Dan let out a deep breath that he didn't even know he had been holding. He needed to end their relationship now. After all, it was only a matter of time. He took her hands in his._

"_Ok. I've given it a lot of thought and I..."_

"_I want to break up with you," Serena stated, their voices overlapping one another._

_Dan looked slightly shocked. He would have thought that she had wanted to stay together._

"_Don't look so shocked Dan. I mean, our parents are getting married. Things are bound to be awkward and besides, people move on, right?" she finished, unable to mask the sarcasm in her voice._

"_Move on?" Dan asked, genuinely confused._

_Then it hit him. Serena wasn't breaking up with him because of the inevitable awkwardness. She had moved on!_

"_Yeah, that's how things usually work out," he drug out bitterly. _

_Serena took a deep breath and composed herself, her tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. So, he was really falling for Blair. Confronting him would probably make her seem needy and desperate. She was better than that. She thought it was best to leave._

"_I'm glad we had this talk Dan. Now that we've cleared the air, we can live peacefully under the same roof."_

_She got up and headed towards the door. A single tear fell, but she wiped it away before anyone could see her cry._

_Dan continued to sit there dumbfounded. How could Serena have moved on this quickly? Who was this guy? He should chase after her and demand an explanation, but that would probably make him seem needy and desperate. He was better than that. He should probably just leave it at this. He signaled to one of the waiters in defeat._

"_Can I have the menu?"_

_Why not? He was hungry and he definitely wasn't in the mood to go home. He would have to call Blair later. She would know what was going on._

* * *

Serena walked out of the lecture hall, followed by her loyal minions. She was still thinking about Blair. She really didn't want things to be this way. She couldn't even remember why they _were_ this way. That was a lie. She remembered every detail of the events of that day. Dan had moved on to her best friend. The breakup had been the easy part. Facing her best friend _after_ the breakup had been a nightmare. She had been so blinded by her anger, that she had assumed the worst, even though Blair had insisted that she was innocent. She should have put a stop to this a long time ago, but it was too late now. She had overthrown Blair out of spite and from there, things had spiraled out of control.

_Blair composed herself and walked into her room. There was no need to get worked up about this. She was sure Serena had a good explanation for overthrowing her. She had hidden from the world for a week, but seeing Serena again caused something inside of her to snap._

"_What the hell is wrong with you?" she seethed, trying to control her anger. "What did I do to you that you had to dethrone me like that?"_

_Serena merely scoffed. "Don't be so shocked, B. You can drop the innocent act now."_

_Blair closed her eyes. "Whatever it is, I am innocent, S."_

_Hearing her denial out loud, Serena snapped as well. "Oh yeah? Dan and I broke up because he's in love with you!"_

_Blair stepped back in shock. "How is that my fault, S? We're like sisters! How could you let some guy come between us like that?"_

_Serena could only answer her in a soft whisper, "He isn't just some guy. Penelope saw the two of you hanging out the other day. Don't deny it, B."_

_Blair laughed menacingly. "We were hanging out to comfort one another. We both felt so betrayed. Now, you need to drop the innocent act. Sleeping with my boyfriend because Dan is in love with me? Really classy, S. Don't even try to blame your breakup on Dan. He told me you had moved on. Neither of us would have guessed it would be Robert."_

_Her words rang in Serena's ear. She had never told Dan she was moving on. What was going on? She was so confused. Why was she being so irrational? There had to be a misunderstanding somewhere down the line, but images of Dan and Blair together raced through her mind unwilling to leave her in peace._

"_Get out Blair! You and Dan have a nice life!" she screamed._

_She pushed Blair out of her room and slammed the door before Blair could get in another word._

_Blair stood still on the other side of the door. What was going on? What were they even arguing about anymore? It was simple. Dan had fallen for her and this was Serena's revenge. Why was Serena so angry? It was Dan and her who should be broken and hurt right now._

Serena frowned at the memory. She had figured out the truth behind all of this a while ago, but she had created so much damage that she had no idea how to fix things. She had wanted to make amends after her argument with Blair that day only to find that she had officially started dating Dan. So, she made sure that she was officially dating Robert. It was all a mess, but she was tired of this. It was time to end this. She flipped open her cell phone, a determined look upon her face.

_**We need to talk, B. I'm sorry for everything. Call me.**_

_**- S**_

* * *

"I _cannot_ believe she pushed us down like that. What a low blow," Penelope said, tearing Serena away from her text message.

"Yeah, what a low blow," Hazel repeated.

Penelope ignored Hazel and continued. "She's asking for it. What's the plan, S?"

"Yeah, what's the plan, S?" Hazel echoed Penelope again, earning a death glare from her fellow minion.

"God, Hazel, you are _so_ annoying!"

Getting annoyed with both of them, Serena began to lash out at them.

"Will you two _shut up _and give me some peace? There is no plan. We leave Blair alone from now on."

Penelope and Hazel kept quiet, although a million questions were running through what little brains they had. Serena rubbed her temples. She had a horrible headache.

"Serena? Some boy over there asked me to give you this," said a voice that was oddly familiar.

Serena looked up to find Jenny standing before her, holding a white envelope. Serena sighed, took the envelope from her hands, and proceeded to tear the envelope open. Patience was definitely _not_ a virtue. A piece of paper fluttered to the floor. She picked it up off the ground and began to read it. Penelope and Hazel peered over her shoulder with interest. They were bursting at the seams with curiosity. First, Serena was over destroying Blair and now she was receiving a mysterious letter?

"I'm sorry. Was this letter addressed to either of you?"

Penelope and Hazel turned to look at one another. Getting the message, they both took a few steps back. An awkward silence fell into place as Serena read the letter. After what seemed to be an eternity, Serena carefully folded the letter and put it in her purse.

"May I be excused now?"

Serena looked up to find Jenny still standing there.

"Yes, of course. Wait, Jenny, what are you even doing here?"

"Oh! I just dropped by to thank Blair. She convinced Eleanor to give me that internship position. I can't seem to find her anywhere though, so I'll just thank her at dinner tonight," she answered in an overly cheerful voice.

Serena nodded. It was probably best to avoid dinner with Blair until everything was worked out between them.

"I won't be coming home for dinner tonight. We're having a sleepover at Penelope's house."

Jenny nodded and walked away before Serena could stop her again.

Penelope smirked. "Why is Blair always coming over for dinner anyway, S? Has the soup kitchen shut down or something?"

"Shut it, P."

She dismissed the rest of her minions, only signaling for Penelope and Hazel to stay behind.

"I can't make it to the sleepover tonight."

"Why? Where are you going tonight then?" Penelope asked.

"I have someone...I mean, _something_ I need to take care of. You can host the party on my behalf. Hazel, what Penelope says, goes."

Hearing Serena give her absolute authority, all suspicion escaped from Penelope's mind.

"It will be _the_ party of the year, S."

"Good and if anyone asks, I'm in your bedroom resting because I have the flu. _No one_ is allowed to be anywhere _near_ that room, got it?"

"But if you're not there...why are we telling people that you are...if you're like not?" Hazel asked, clearly not understanding the conversation.

Penelope sighed, grabbing Hazel's arm and heading towards their next class.

"God, Hazel. She wants us to be her cover. How did you even get into Yale?"

Serena smiled at the two as they walked away. They _did_ bring some humor into her life. Her plan for tonight was absolutely flawless. No one _ever_ blackmailed Serena van der Woodsen.


	5. The Silence Of A Man

**A/N:** I apologize for the comparably much longer chapter, but it had to be done. A promo for this chapter was released earlier on my YouTube account, enunciiate. This is the first chapter of the story to have its own promo, although a trailer for the entire story was available quite a while ago. I really hope you enjoy this chapter and please review! This chapter meant a lot to me and reviews for this chapter would really mean the world.

**The Silence Of A Man**

* * *

Rufus strolled into the lobby, his mind still heavy with thoughts of his rift with Lily. It had been a mistake, one that he would never commit again.

"Good evening, Mr. Humphrey. You have a visitor," said a pleasant voice.

Rufus smiled at the concierge.

"Thank you, Jeffery."

The concierge motioned towards one of the armchairs located at the far corner of the lobby. Allison. She was asleep.

"How long has she been waiting?" Rufus asked.

There was no reply as the concierge had moved on to more important matters. Rufus took a moment to weigh his options. He could walk out of the lobby now or be a man and immediately solve the problem at hand. His conscience seemed to approve of the latter, so he approached her, a grim expression still resting on his face. As if she could sense his presence, her eyes fluttered open.

"Rufus..."

"Allison, we need to talk about what happened," Rufus remarked.

He needed to make this quick and painless. That was his goal. Allison stood up slowly, seemingly unfazed by his stern voice.

"What are you doing here Allison? I'm in enough trouble with Lily as it is," he maintained.

Allison offered him a quiet smile and looked straight into his eyes. Rufus swallowed hard. She was absolutely helpless. He had _never_ seen her eyes so empty before. The least he could do was hear her out.

"I know and I'm terribly sorry. I can explain everything to her. It was completely my fault. I want you to know that..." she trailed off as she noticed that they were currently the center of attention in the hotel lobby.

Rufus sighed, hoping inwardly that he wouldn't regret this.

"We can discuss this in my room, but this time..."

"Yes, I know," she interrupted, following him towards the elevator.

She knew very well that Rufus Humphrey no longer loved her. She had no one to blame but herself. After all, she was the one who had been unfaithful. She ended up having a wonderful second marriage until it had reared its ugly head. How was she to know that her lover would become not only possessive but abusive? Rufus was an honorable man and he had been there for her when she needed him. She honestly did feel guilty about what she had done. She had been vulnerable. He was conveniently there, so she had kissed him. How was she to know that Lily would have returned home at that exact moment?

Allison smiled a melancholic smile. No matter how much she wanted them to return to the way they were, it was all too late now. He was in love with Lily and there was simply no going back. An awkward silence fell between them as they waited for the elevator. At that moment, they would both agree on the fact that this hotel had _way_ too many floors. Allison turned towards Rufus and began to speak in order to break the silence only to be disrupted by a commotion at the main desk.

"What do you mean they're fucking occupied? I want a fucking suite! I want it on the fucking top floor! Am I asking you to move mountains here? Do you _know_ who I am?" shouted an irritated voice.

Rufus and Allison looked over at the young man, both seemingly perplexed by his behavior. A colorful mask concealed his identity, but he was evidently drunk. It must have been quite the party.

"I said I want a fucking suite! Are you deaf? My father will have you _all _fucking fired when he hears about this," the young man continued, showing no signs of letting up.

The concierge remained his composure, although he was now extremely mortified that he had crossed the heir of Fairmont Industries.

"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Fairmont. We will arrange a room for you right away."

Rufus calmly walked over to the main desk. The last thing he wanted was for the staff to lose their jobs.

"Jeffery, please arrange for Mr. Fairmont to stay in my room."

The concierge was grateful for his gesture. The suites on the top floor _were_ really all occupied.

"Thank you, Mr. Humphrey. We will arrange a suite for you three floors down," the concierge stated, motioning for the staff to attend to this arrangement.

He then turned his attention towards Pete again.

"Mr. Fairmont, we have a suite for you on the top floor."

Pete smiled sarcastically in response. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

He took the card key and followed one of the staff up to his suite all the while singing at the top of his lungs. Yes, he was _definitely_ drunk. Allison and Rufus decided to wait for the next elevator and followed another one of the staff up to his new room.

"Thank you for being so accommodating Mr. Humphrey," mentioned the young woman who was escorting them to his room.

Rufus smiled. "Yes, of course. The entire staff losing their jobs over this would have been quite tragic and unnecessary. Bart Fairmont definitely has his hands full with that one, although his sister certainly makes up for his lack of grace."

The young woman nodded in agreement. Vanessa Fairmont was much more pleasant. No one with so much as half a brain would disagree with that.

* * *

"Dorota!" Blair exclaimed as she stepped into the foyer.

"Yes, Miss Blair?"

"I need to bring another copy of my essay to Professor Humphrey. Please inform my mother that I will meet her at the Humphreys for dinner."

"Yes, Miss Blair. Why you need another copy of essay?"

Dorota had a look of concern on her face. She worried and cared a lot for Blair. Blair was like the daughter she never had.

"Serena," Blair stated. "She stole the essay from my purse this morning."

Dorota remained silent as Blair walked up the intricate staircase that led up to her room. She knew better than to dwell on the subject. Blair tossed her purse on her bed and proceeded to turn on her laptop. Serena smiled back at her. She loved that picture of the two of them together. They had been joyous and carefree. It was taken a little bit before the catastrophic events of senior year. She truly did miss Serena.

_**We need to talk, B. I'm sorry for everything. Call me.**_

_**- S**_

Blair stared at her phone in awe. The text message had been sent to her phone a while ago. Either a higher power was messing with her mind or she still shared a special connection with Serena. Blair smiled. It was a genuine smile. She missed her best friend. She had no doubt in her mind that this would mark a new beginning. She would talk to Serena at dinner tonight.

* * *

"What can I get you tonight, Mr. Bass?" the bartender asked.

"No drinking tonight, John. I have some important business to take care of."

Leave it to Chuck Bass to know the names of every bartender in town. John merely shrugged and prepared to serve another customer. Nate composed himself as he walked towards his best friend. He needed to act as normal as possible. He had made a terrible mistake. The consequences would be dire if anyone found out about this.

"No drinking?" Nate questioned as he took the seat next to Chuck.

"I think being sober is important when discussing a case," Chuck smirked.

"No way Chuck. I need a break from work. We are _not_ discussing a case right now in the middle of a bar," he said, placing his order with the bartender.

"I suppose the lack of privacy could be a problem."

Nate knew his best friend well. He could sense that something was wrong. Chuck would never talk about a case after hours. Something else was definitely occupying his thoughts.

"You can tell me, man. Whatever is bothering you..."

"I was thinking about our conversation this morning and you were right. I really should be moving on. I've never told anyone the details of the accident, but I figured it was time to share this with you."

Nate was taken aback for a moment. Chuck Bass was prepared to share his _feelings_ with him? Wow. He was certainly being possessed by some evil spirit. That had to be the only plausible reason for this.

"Alright! Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" Nate asked, half-jokingly.

Chuck let out a tiny chuckle. "I am _dead_ serious, Nathaniel."

Nate cringed as Chuck emphasized the word dead.

"Now, are you going to listen to me or not?"

Nate smiled. Truthfully, he was thrilled that Chuck would share this with him. He had always been curious about the details of the accident. He knew that his mother had been unfaithful, but that was all Chuck had let on about the accident over the years.

"You want to take a walk, man? This is hardly the place to talk about this."

Chuck nodded and the two made their exit after paying the bill. They walked in silence for a few moments. Nate knew better than to rush him into putting his heart on the table. This was probably hard enough for Chuck as it was.

"It was raining on the day of the accident, you know? I remember spending the day at home because the weather was so grim. Eric was with me. My father was at work, but my mother was home to take care of us. She was incredibly drunk from the night before, so I was left to take care of Eric that day. She spent the entire morning in bed," Chuck began.

Nate offered his best friend a smile, willing for him to continue. Chuck was more than happy to oblige. He could feel the weight of this nightmare dissolve as he forced out each word.

"In the afternoon, she came down. I thought we were all taking a vacation because she had several suitcases with her," Chuck continued, swallowing hard at the memory. "I abandoned Eric for a moment. I was so excited to know where we were headed to. My mother always planned the best vacations."

"_Mommy!" he squealed, running towards her._

_Evelyn Bass picked up her son and twirled him around. She would really miss him. She loved him more than anything in the world, but she was unhappy. She needed to leave._

"_Are we taking a vacation mommy?" Chuck questioned, looking at his mother with his soft brown eyes._

_Evelyn held him close, showering him with gentle kisses._

"_This is a vacation mommy is taking on her own," she replied, shielding a tear from her son._

_Chuck giggled and wiggled out of her grasp. Eric continued to play with his blocks unaware of everything around him. Evelyn Bass s__et Chuck back down on the ground._

"_I will take care of Eric while you're gone mommy. Have a fun trip!"_

_Unable to control her emotions, Evelyn Bas__s burst into tears. She knelt down next to her eldest son and held him close again. Confused, Chuck tried to comfort his mother, petting her hair._

"_Why are you crying mommy? Eric and I have been behaving ourselves this week," he stated, still confused by his mother's sudden outburst._

_His mother caressed his cheek._

"_Charles, promise me that you will take care of Eric. No matter what happens, the two of you need to take care of each other. One day you will understand Charles. I love you."_

_Even at that young age, Chuck could sense that something was really wrong. His mother rarely ever referred to him as Charles._

"_Mommy?" he asked in a small whisper. "Are you not coming back?"_

_His eyes began to brim with tears. Unable to face her son, Evelyn Bass dra__gged her suitcases towards the door. Chuck panicked and refused to let go of his mother._

"_Mommy! Where are you going? I promise to be good! I will! I promise!" he shouted, hoping his mother would decide to stay._

_Evelyn Bass only shook he__r head at her son and headed out the door, making sure to close it firmly behind her. Chuck ran to the bay window and pounded on the glass with his tiny fists, but to no avail._

"_Mommy! Mommy! Please!" he cried over and over again as tiny tears spilled down his cheeks._

_A handsome man stepped out of the car and Chuck witnessed their embrace. His mother kissed him as he grabbed her suitcases to put them in the trunk._

"_Not daddy!" Eric squealed as he joined his brother at the bay window, still holding his blocks in his tiny hands._

_Eric was smiling, oblivious to the implications of that statement, but Chuck knew. His mother was leaving his father for another man. He had heard enough from his classmates to know this. Suddenly, he became angry with his mother. He wanted her to die. How could she leave him like this? She must have lied when she had told him that she loved him. His mother had lied._

Nate and Chuck were now sitting on a bench in the middle of Central Park as Chuck continued to pour his heart out. It was a relief to finally be able to tell someone. He had shut everyone out after that day. Women simply couldn't be trusted.

"What happened next?" Nate asked, prodding his friend to continue.

_It had been a mere hour. Chuck sat there in silence. His father would be home soon. He always came home early on Fridays. Chuck smiled when he heard a set of keys jingling at the front door. It must be his father. He ran to the door. He knew he would find comfort in his father's arms. To his disappointment, he found their aunt standing before him._

"_Hello, my bumblebee. Please fetch Eric for me," she announced._

_Chuck could see that his aunt had been crying. Her hair was out of place and she looked completely distraught. He knew better than to ask questions, so he did as he was told. Aunt Carol took him by the hand and led him towards her car, carrying Eric in her arms. Evelyn Bass di__d not survive the accident and neither did her lover. Meanwhile, her own brother was hanging by a thread. The hospital had said that he could only hold on for a few more hours and Arthur Bass had demanded to see his sons before his inevitable death._

"Why was your father involved in the accident?" Nate blurted out, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"He was trying to stop her," Chuck explained, unperturbed by the interruption. "She had informed him of her decision to leave him. My father loved my mother like no other, so he tried to stop her."

Chuck took a deep breath. Thinking about the next part of the story was always enough to make him crumble. Nate remained silent, respecting his personal space.

"He was driving to the airport at full speed..." he trailed off for a brief moment to gather his thoughts. "He was going way too fast. He ran a red light and ended up crashing into a car at the intersection."

Chuck swallowed, unable to finish with the story, but he didn't have to. Nate was smart enough to piece the puzzle together. Evelyn Bass and her lover had been in that very car.

"It was still raining outside when I watched my father die, you know? I had prayed to God that he would allow my father to stay alive, but he ignored my prayers."

Chuck tried to suppress his tears, but a single tear coursed down his cheek as he finished the final part of his story.

_He walked over to the bed and knelt beside his father. Eric had fallen asleep on the ride over and Aunt Carol was taking care of him._

"_Charles," Arthur managed to choke out as his son approached him._

_He knew he was dying. He could feel the world slowly fading away, but he needed to speak with his son one last time._

"_Daddy?"_

"_Charles, I want you and Eric to know that I loved your mother with all my heart and that both of you mean the world to me. Your mother made a mistake, but she loved you too. She really did."_

_He gasped slightly as his wounds were taking a toll on his body._

"_I want you to take care of Eric for me."_

_Chuck nodded numbly at his request._

"_I killed mommy, daddy. I wanted her to die," he said, bursting into tears as he made his confession._

_Arthur Bass held his son close one last time._

_He whispered. "It was meant to happen Charles. One day you will understand. __I love you.__"_

_Arthur Bass took his last breath holding his eldest son in his arms. Chuck was too afraid to move away from his embrace. He knew his father was dead. He prayed to God to keep his father alive, but he knew his prayer would not be answered. He peered out the window as his tears continued to dribble down his cheeks, which were now slightly smeared with blood. It was then that he realized that the sky had been mourning all this time. Yes, the sky must have known all along that both his parents would have abandoned him by the end of night. He snuggled closer to his father, willing for him to come back alive._

* * *

Blair rushed into the lobby and approached the front desk. It was unattended much to her dismay. She tapped her foot impatiently. She was already late for dinner. She had informed Dan that she would be slightly late, but it would probably be best if she dropped off the essay in person. It would be a lot faster than waiting here for the concierge and she certainly wasn't comfortable with leaving her essay unattended at the front desk.

It took her a while, but Blair eventually located room 584 at the end of the hallway. She knocked on the door, but there was no reply. A light flickered above her. Blair felt a chill creep up her spine as the quiet of her surroundings began to set in. It was definitely too quiet. She knocked harder this time.

"Professor Humphrey?"

There was still no reply. Trying her luck, she reached down for the knob. To her surprise, the door creaked open without any resistance. The key card system had definitely been tampered with. Professor Humphrey had even left the safety chain unhooked. Something was definitely out of place. She should probably just leave. The concierge had probably returned to his station at the front desk by now, but curiosity bubbled inside of her. Cautiously, Blair made her way into the room, fumbling around for the light switch.

"Professor Humphrey?" Blair called out again into the darkness, setting her purse by the door.

He was probably teaching a night class. She would just leave the essay on his desk and be on her way. She reached for the light switch and turned on the lights. She turned around as the light slowly illuminated the room before her. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the bright light. Blair let out a blood-curdling scream before she hit the floor, her world fading to a monotonous black.


	6. The Unusual Suspects

**A/N:** I originally had a few different scenes in this chapter. However, none of them seemed thorough enough. I finally settled on writing two detailed scenes in this chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated as always. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story in the past!

**The Unusual Suspects**

* * *

"I think I have everything I need. Thank you for your cooperation Miss Waldorf. You seem tired. You should probably head home and get some rest," Nate suggested.

"I will. Dan is coming to pick me up," she answered, smiling up at him gratefully for his concern.

Nate nodded, trying to keep the atmosphere of the conversation professional. He excused himself and returned to monitor the rest of the homicide team as they bustled around the suite in search of evidence.

Blair continued to sit there in silence. She stole a glance at the body on the bed, hoping that she would wake up in _her_ bed at any moment to realize that this had only been a horrible nightmare. Unfortunately, Pete Fairmont was most certainly dead. He was still in the same position that Blair had found him in. He was stark naked and a thick pool of blood surrounded his rigid body. There was a huge gash across his back, the edges crusted with dried blood. Blair shook her head to erase the horrendous image from her mind, but to no avail. She shivered as she desperately fought back a tear. She had no idea why she felt like crying. She hated feeling vulnerable.

Chuck scowled as he approached her. This _had_ to be his lucky day. Blair Waldorf was the one who had found the body. She told Nate that she had fainted, but that she had called 911 the moment she was conscious again. It was the fact that she had stayed in the suite until his team arrived that mesmerized him. He would have thought that she would have at least waited in the lobby or stayed as far away from the dead body as possible. The Blair Waldorf he knew from high school would certainly have scrunched up her nose at the very idea of keeping a dead body company for even a split second.

"Miss Waldorf?"

Blair knew that voice. She turned her head towards Chuck and gave him a taut smile.

"Detective _Bass_," she acknowledged, emphasizing his last name to let him know she knew _exactly_ who he was.

Chuck smirked. So, she _did_ remember him. He would be hard to forget of course. No one _ever_ rejected Blair Waldorf.

"I simply want to ask you a few questions," Chuck stated, suppressing his thoughts of the past.

"Detective Archibald has already done so, but you should know that already," she said curtly, folding her arms across her chest.

Chuck let his eyes fall on her breasts momentarily. He was only human and it was her fault that she had brought his attention to them. Blair caught him staring and lowered her arms in response, casting a glare in his direction.

"My eyes are up here," she snapped, motioning towards them in one fluid motion.

His mind knew that this would hardly be deemed as appropriate behavior, but he instantly leaned forward until his steady breathing gently grazed her right earlobe.

Blair held her breath in response to his proximity as he whispered in a low growl, "You have a nice set of those too."

Blair blushed at the sound of his voice, her face turning a bright shade of crimson red. Chuck resumed to a standing position and took a step back. He could see that her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, although he knew she would never admit it. He had to admit that he enjoyed watching her squirm in discomfort though.

"Miss Waldorf, I realize that Detective Archibald has already questioned you. However, he _is_ my supervisor..."

"And yet, _you_ need to follow up on _his_ work?" Blair retorted, recovering from her moment of weakness.

Chuck ignored her comment and drug on.

"...and he _has_ asked me to further the questioning that he conducted earlier."

"Make it quick, Detective Bass."

He nodded, acknowledging her request.

"Miss Waldorf...from the statement you gave Detective Archibald, I gather you didn't witness the murder?"

She rolled her eyes at him. How many times would she have to answer these tedious questions? Where was Dan already?

"No, and I didn't notice anything unusual except for...oh, I don't know...the dead body of one of my classmates? Look, you're wasting my time."

Chuck opened his mouth, prepared to say something that would surely have put Blair Waldorf in her place, but abruptly changed his mind. He was a professional despite his momentary lack of judgment only a few minutes earlier. Chuck Bass never flirted or got side-tracked on the job.

"Miss Waldorf, what were you doing at the scene of the crime?"

"As I told Detective Archibald _only a few moments ago_..."

She emphasized each word, pausing in between each one to offer him a sarcastic smile.

"I wasn't _able_ to hand in my essay this morning and Professor Humphrey was kind enough to give me an extension. I just came over here to hand in my assignment. I have no idea _why_ Pete was in this room. The door practically opened on its own when I got here, so I went in to investigate and to hand in my essay of course. That isn't a crime. Is it, detective?"

Chuck continued to jot down notes as his expression remained unreadable.

"Thank you, Miss Waldorf, but I'm curious to know...how exactly did you know to find him _here_? Did Professor Humphrey ask you to meet him here to hand in your paper? Do you two know each other well?"

Chuck knew this was a stretch, but he couldn't rule out anyone or any scenario just yet. Blair was a smart girl though. She caught on to what he was implying.

"You're not _insinuating_ something here, are you, detective?" Blair challenged, furious that he would even suggest something like that.

"Just answer the question, Miss Waldorf," Chuck replied, starting to get tired of their temporary power struggle.

He rubbed his forehead in frustration. Blair could see that he was probably just as tired with their bantering as she was. They were both probably having a rough day. She decided to cut him some slack.

"I'm dating his son, Dan Humphrey. You remember Dan from high school? Professor Humphrey had a bit of a rift with his wife, so I know he's been staying here for a while. I had no idea about the room change though."

Chuck was grateful that Blair was starting to cooperate. He honestly was _not_ in the mood for this. He had just drained his body of a nightmare from his past and already another homicide investigation was begging for his attention.

Dan took the opportunity and stepped in to interrupt their conversation.

"Dan Humphrey," he said, introducing himself to the detective before him. "I can testify that what Miss Waldorf has said is true. My father..."

"...switched hotel rooms with Pete Fairmont because he was being a spoiled drunk brat. Tell me something I don't know, Dumbphrey. I guess your father got out in time, didn't he?"

Dan cringed at the sound of his high school nickname. Only Chuck Bass had ever used it religiously in high school.

"Chuck Bass? I didn't even...Wow. So, you're a homicide detective now? I had no idea."

Chuck responded without so much as looking up from his notes.

"No, I actually bus tables at a local restaurant. I simply have nothing better to do with my time than to impersonate a homicide detective and investigate a murder of someone that I don't even care about."

Blair stifled a giggle. It was no laughing matter, but the look on Dan's face at that moment was absolutely priceless and Chuck _did_ have a way with sarcasm. It was funny how she had never paid much attention to his wit in high school.

Dan cleared his throat. "In all seriousness Detective Bass, is my father in any danger right now? Maybe the killer came here looking for him."

"We're not going to eliminate that possibility, but please, Mr. Humphrey...let me do my job."

Dan understood that he wasn't going to get much more out of Chuck, so he stayed quiet.

"I _am_ curious though, Mr. Humphrey. Were you _with_ Miss Waldorf a few hours ago?"

Dan pondered on his question, clearly not realizing his accusation, but Blair noticed it immediately. She subsequently became furious. Again. How _dare_ he? It was like he was plotting against her! _She_ was the one who had found the dead body! _She_ was the one who was the indirect victim in this matter! Not only did she have to see Pete dead, but she saw him dead _and_ naked for crying out loud!

"You're not suggesting, Detective Bass, that I killed Pete hours ago only to call 911 on myself a few hours _later_ and then act as if I had nothing to do with the murder, right? Even an irrational man like yourself would have to be on some kind of drug to make _that_ kind of accusation. Even if I _did_ kill Pete, I wouldn't have been so stupid," she shot back, a venomous layer of anger coating each and every word.

"So, you did kill him?" Chuck asked without missing a beat.

Blair gave him an icy stare.

"You're crazy."

"And you're avoiding my question," Chuck replied in a calm and steady voice.

Blair clenched her teeth.

"I just said I didn't," she seethed.

"No, Miss Waldorf. You said that even if you _did_ kill the victim, you wouldn't have been so stupid as to have stayed at the scene of the crime and called 911 hours later. That could imply that you _did_ kill him, but you _were_ stupid enough to do what you said you wouldn't do in the first place."

He hoped his confusion technique would work on her. Confusion always made his suspects easier to read. Much to his dismay, he could only see genuine confusion on her face instead of the guilt he was looking for.

"Am I _supposed_ to understand what you just said or were you just trying the whole confusion technique on me?"

Chuck blinked a few times. How did she...? Never mind. That wasn't important.

"Look, Miss Waldorf. The point is that as a detective, I can assure you that people who commit murder are generally not in the right state of mind. Right now, it would have been stupid for you to have called 911, but in the heat of the moment, it may have seemed like the right thing to do. You'd do anything to throw suspicion off of yourself."

Blair stood up abruptly, feeling small since she had been sitting down the entire time with him looming over her. At the same time he took a step forward so that their faces were now only mere inches apart.

Blair looked him straight in the eyes and said without so much as blinking, "You can interpret what I say anyway you'd like, _detective_, but I didn't kill Pete. Where were _you_ a few hours ago, Detective Bass? At this rate, everyone in New York ought to be on your suspect list."

Her response had simply gone in one ear and out the other. Their proximity had caused his throat to run dry. He swallowed before clearing his throat and immediately took a step back to distance himself from her incredible aura.

"I'll ask the questions here, Miss Waldorf. We'll be in touch. Thank you for your cooperation...or lack thereof."

With that, he walked away, nodding in Nate's direction as he went. Blair watched him leave, cursing all the while to herself. She felt the mysterious vibe between them vaporize as he retreated from the room. She couldn't quite place her finger on what the vibe actually was, but it resembled the one she had experienced earlier that morning and it was suffocating her. She officially _hated_ Chuck Bass. She had never met anyone so smug and irritating in her entire life. Her? A suspect? Only _he_ would have the nerve. No wonder people rarely reported crimes on the Upper East Side. She certainly wouldn't have if she would have been considered a suspect. Nate didn't seem to have pinned her as such. It was Chuck Bass. There was definitely something wrong with _him_.

"You look exhausted Blair. Why don't I take you home?" Dan asked, interrupting her voiceless rant.

She snapped out of her unusual trance and revealed a tired smile that she didn't even know she had been masking all the while.

"Yeah, that would be great," she answered, silently forgiving him for their previous argument with her eyes.

Dan took her hand and led her towards the door. He couldn't believe Pete Fairmont had been murdered. He wondered how Vanessa was taking this. He would have to call her as soon as possible. He gave a solemn nod and sympathetic glance towards Vanessa's father only to receive an emotionless stare in return. Dan gulped in intimidation as Bart turned his attention back towards Nate. Wait...Nate? Was _everyone_ a homicide detective now?

* * *

Vanessa rose from the sofa and let out a huge yawn. She had fallen asleep on the couch the moment she had arrived home. It had been a tiring conversation. Dan had ultimately chosen Blair, but Vanessa knew that he was only fooling himself. She had accepted that Dan had no feelings for her, but she knew he loved Serena like no other. She really wished he would confront his true feelings sometime. She sighed as her cell phone lit up again. She had turned it off to silent for her nap. Her father had been trying to reach her all this time.

"Father," she greeted him, answering his call.

"I'm at the Palace right now. Your brother is dead," Bart whispered into his phone.

He cast a sideways glance at Detective Archibald who was trying to decipher his every word from a distance.

"Pete is dead?" Vanessa asked, looking for some confirmation.

"Yes," Bart said impatiently. "I may be a suspect in this. If anyone asks you anything regarding this incident, you answer none of them. Am I making myself clear? You will also tell them that I was with you a few hours ago. I'll explain everything later."

He proceeded to hang up without so much as giving his daughter a chance to ask anymore questions.

Vanessa collapsed onto the sofa once more. She couldn't even begin to describe what she was feeling right now. She was shocked, confused, and hurt all rolled into one. She felt a wetness in her eyes as a few tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks. Her brother was _dead_ and her _father_ was a suspect? She had seen this coming for a while. She knew that one of the many people that Pete had blackmailed or wronged over the years would have snapped eventually, but she had done nothing to stop him from doing those things either. Her short breaths turned into heart-wrenching sobs as the reality of everything had finally begun to set in around her. It was her fault. She should have stopped Pete when he had begun to dabble in his world of lies and deceit. She should have told their father what he was doing. He would have straightened him out then and there.

Who was she kidding really? Her father didn't care about Pete at all, which was why he didn't even sound concerned over the phone. Her father only loved _her_ because she happened to be a spitting image of their mother. In fact, he had always doubted if Pete was really his biological son, but why had her father told _her_ to be his alibi? There was no way her father would have killed Pete. He didn't care enough to do it and even if he did, he would have gotten someone else to do his dirty work for him. She couldn't sit here any longer. She needed answers. She needed comfort. Vanessa hastily grabbed her coat from the closet and ran out the door.

"Taxi!" she yelled, waving her right arm as she stepped off of the curb.

The vehicle slowly pulled to a stop in front of her. There was only one person who could comfort her at a time like this. Vanessa climbed into the taxi and shut the door behind her.

_**Dan. Pete murdered. I need you. Meet me in the Palace lobby. Please.**_

_**- V**_


	7. Risky Business

**A/N: **I apologize for the lack of Chuck and Blair, but this is first and foremost a murder mystery. I promise that the wait will be well worth it. After all, Blair is still a virgin. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Who _did_ kill Pete Fairmont?

**Risky Business**

* * *

"Vanessa needs you Dan. I can take a cab home. In fact, I feel like taking a walk actually," Blair insisted.

She would have been grateful for a ride home, but the elevator ride down to the lobby had been awkward enough to say the very least. For some odd reason, she found it hard to look Dan in the eyes after what had perspired between Chuck and herself. Every time she did, she heard his voice next to her ear. _You have a nice set of those too._ It had been an innocent exchange, but she felt guilty all the same.

Dan continued to remain unconvinced and wavered for a moment at her insistence, worry set in his deep brown eyes.

"Are you absolutely _positive_ Blair? I can take you home first and then drive back to meet Vanessa," he offered. "You probably need to vent about Chuck to someone after the way he interrogated you."

_You have a nice set of those too._ Her cheeks flared at the reminder again. How the hell did Chuck Bass still manage to evade her personal space when he was probably long gone doing God knows what with God know who?

"I am _fine_ Dan. I mean it. Who cares about Detective Bass? Take as long as you need with Vanessa alright? Her brother has been murdered. She needs someone to be there for her right now. No thoughts of Chuck Bass had even crossed my mind until you mentioned him," she rambled on.

Dan frowned in defeat as Blair abruptly closed her mouth to prevent herself from saying anything she might regret later.

"Alright, but you _cannot_ walk home. Promise me you will take a cab at the very least?"

Blair smiled at his concern for her, slightly relieved that he had paid no attention to her odd behavior.

"Dan, you are overreacting. I will _not_ get attacked on the way home," she reassured him.

He knew there would be no changing her mind. When Blair Waldorf made a decision, it was set in stone. Dan nodded and gave her a quick peck on the lips as his goodbye. Blair was non-responsive to the feel of his lips on hers, but Dan hardly took notice. He was too busy envisioning all of the mixed emotions Vanessa was probably experiencing right now. Blair turned her back to him and walked out of the building, inhaling a wisp of the crisp night air. The cool air felt refreshing against her hot skin. She would have to talk to Bart Fairmont tomorrow about fixing the air conditioning system in that hotel. It had to be broken. She stopped at the curb and looked both ways, waiting patiently for a cab.

"I can take you home," offered a familiar voice.

Blair whisked around to find Nate Archibald standing before her.

"How about it Blair?" he offered. Again.

"Is that legal?" Blair asked.

After all, he _was_ a detective and she _was_ a suspect in the homicide of Pete Fairmont.

"You are not a suspect Blair," he explained, attending to her concern. "Chuck is simply cautious when it comes to a homicide case. He has a trust no one kind of rule. Frankly, I think _I_ could be on his list. I can take you home."

Blair considered his offer briefly. She might be able to obtain more information on the case from him on the ride home. She had nothing to lose and Dan would be pleased she had protection.

"Thanks," Blair said as Nate opened the passenger door of his car and helped her in.

"It was my pleasure," Nate replied.

This was perfect. He could probably obtain some information about Serena from Blair this way. The concierge had found her cell phone in the lobby and he _would_ have to return it to her somehow. Nate would never consider Serena a suspect, but Chuck probably would, which was why he was secretly glad that _he_ had been the one to gain possession of it. He would never want his beloved Serena to involve herself in a homicide case. The Serena he knew would not have lain so much as a finger on a helpless ant, let alone kill Pete Fairmont.

"Blair, are you still best friends with Serena?" he questioned casually.

He knew they had been fighting, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Blair thought nothing of the question and answered, "Yes, I suppose you could say we still are. I was planning to make amends with her at dinner tonight actually, but then this happened."

Nate nodded.

"Is she...dating anyone?" he blurted out without pondering over the possible consequences of his question.

"Why do you ask?" Blair retorted, curiosity looming within her.

Then, it came to her. Nate Archibald was probably interested in Serena. It was so typical. Why were people always fascinated with _her_ life? Was she really that much more interesting than Blair Waldorf? Nate ran his hand through his hair and quickly recovered from his outburst.

"I figured she would be single, you know? Daniel was the love of her life, wasn't he?"

He sucked in his breath, hoping his cover was decent enough. Nobody knew of his secret crush on Serena, except Chuck of course.

"Well, she dated Aaron for awhile," she shrugged, pretending to be satisfied with his reason.

Now was hardly the time to question Nate about his affections for Serena. Besides, why should it matter to her?

"Aaron is your step-brother, right?"

Blair nodded in response and let out a yawn. Serena had her condolences if she ever decided to give Archibald a chance. It was like conversing with a brick wall. However, Nate did not realize her boredom with him. Aaron. That made perfect sense. Serena always seemed to fall for the artistic types. He knew he should have written more poetry in high school! His childhood would have been inspiration enough. Blair looked out the window still completely uninterested in their conversation. She wanted to change the subject and so she did. It was only fair that she could ask him a few questions now.

"Why am I a suspect to Chuck?" Blair reasoned, interrupting his blabbering. "I mean, the Palace should have surveillance tapes, right? Those could prove that I was nowhere _near_ the victim when the murder had occurred earlier."

Nate turned his head to observe her. The homicide case _was_ confidential, but she was his only connection to Serena. Besides, he could trust Blair Waldorf. She had never spread rumours about him in high school. They had been cordial with one another.

"That would seem like a reasonable assumption, but this criminal knew what they were was doing. Not only did they tamper with the key card system, but they overrode the security systems as well," Nate started.

"I noticed the key card system had been compromised, but I had no idea they had tampered with the security systems as well. So, there _are_ no surveillance tapes," Blair continued.

It wasn't a question. She knew that had to be why she was still considered a suspect. Nate noticed the frustrated expression on her delicate face.

"I would like to tell you there are Blair, but the staff was unable to provide us with any security tapes. The last visible portion before the connection was cut was a few hours ago, but I did speak with one of the doormen before I left."

Blair quirked an eyebrow in his direction, willing for him to continue.

"He recognized that you entered the building only an hour or so ago. There is no way you could have committed the crime. Our homicide team has estimated the time of murder to have been at least three hours ago," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Blair breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why don't we start with that important detail next time, Nate?"

Blair paused before another question occurred to her.

"Does Chuck know about this? You better tell him, detective. I can't be held responsible for my actions if he interrogates me again," Blair huffed in slight irritation.

Nate stifled a laugh. He had seen the exchange between them earlier.

He hadn't heard what Chuck had whispered into her ear, but he could tell it had been something inappropriate. At least what he said had to be inappropriate enough to make Blair Waldorf blush a deep shade of crimson red. Blair Waldorf was always in control of her emotions or at least she was in the presence of the public eye. He had found the entire situation completely comical, but Chuck had sent him a brief withering glance to prevent him from laughing out loud.

"I'll let him know," Nate promised.

Blair resumed her false interest in her surroundings again as she allowed herself to drift off in thought. Chuck Bass had been utterly irritating. She could probably sue his judgemental ass for sexual harassment. Was there such a claim? She would have to ask Cyrus about that. Who knew that balding man would come in handy? _You have nice set of those too._ His sultry voice continued to ring in her ears. She could still feel his hot breath shamelessly stimulating the senses of her right earlobe. She reached up subconsciously to trace its edges. Yes, Chuck Bass was definitely insufferably irritating.

"Here we are Blair!" Nate exclaimed, interrupting her entrancing thoughts.

He went over to the passenger door and opened it for her climb out. There was something unsettling about the way Nate was behaving, but she shook it off. It was a miracle how they were best friends. Nate was boring, but he was such a gentleman and yet Chuck Bass had matured into an undiscovered species of arrogant asshole. She supposed Serena and her were as different as day and night as well. Perhaps certain aspects of the world were simply unexplainable phenomena.

* * *

Vanessa walked into the building and was relieved to see Dan waiting for her on one of the lounge chairs. They met each other in a tight embrace. He had never seen Vanessa so broken and distraught.

"Vanessa, your father is upstairs. I think the police are talking with him right now. We should..."

"I need to discuss something with you," she interrupted, dragging him into the nearest unoccupied hallway.

She looked both ways to ensure that the hallway was truly empty before opening her mouth to speak. However, not a single sound escaped from her open mouth. Instead, a single tear made its course down her left cheek. Dan was now completely overwhelmed and confused by her behavior. He held her close, wiping away her fallen tear with his thumb.

"Vanessa, what is going on here?" he asked. "This really isn't like you. You're scaring me."

Vanessa took a step back, regaining her composure.

"I think my father is hiding something terrible from me and from the police. I have no idea what that something is, but I think he may have killed Pete," she whispered.

"What? How do you know that? Where is this coming from?" Dan asked, shocked at her accusation.

"He called me a few moments ago. I had just woken up from my nap. He told me Pete had been murdered and demanded that I be his alibi. He promised to explain everything to me later, but he made sure I knew I wasn't supposed to answer any questions from the police or anyone else until then," Vanessa explained.

He continued to stare at her with wide eyes.

"Maybe he has other reasons for asking you to do something like this," Dan suggested.

"Dan! What could he have been doing a few hours ago that was _so_ horrible that he would need to refer to me as his alibi?"

"Calm down, Vanessa. I know this looks bad, but what if he was alone or something a few hours ago? Maybe he was afraid having no alibi would incriminate him or maybe..."

Vanessa raised her hand to dismiss his ramblings. "Dan, even Bart Fairmont is smart enough to know that not having an alibi is not exactly evidence of murder."

Dan nodded. "What are you going to do? I mean, your father _does _sound guilty, but Bart seems like the kind of person who would hire someone else to do his dirty work for him, you know? I honestly doubt that he would actually want to take a swim in the idea of direct involvement in a homicide case."

"I know. I was thinking about that possibility too. What if one of the homicide detectives really _does_ ask me to confirm that I'm his alibi Dan? I know they will. My conscience wouldn't allow for me to lie. You know I'm an awful liar. He's my father and I love him, but if he did kill Pete, I want my brother to have justice," she declared.

"Not to mention it would be an obstruction of justice," Dan pointed out.

Vanessa silenced him with a glare. It was one that Blair Waldorf would have been proud of.

"Not helping Dan."

Dan let out a tired sigh.

"Vanessa, I think you might be reading into this. Why don't you listen to your father's explanation first before deciding on what to do? I mean, chances are the police won't get in touch with you until tomorrow. The entire homicide team is still upstairs looking for evidence. I only saw Detective Archibald and Detective Bass leave the building earlier."

Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

"Detective _Nate_ Archibald and Detective _Chuck_ Bass?" she wondered. "Is _everyone_ a homicide detective these days? They must be desperate for recruits to hire _those_ two."

Dan chuckled and guided Vanessa back towards the lobby. He knew Vanessa and Blair would get along if they just gave each other a chance.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Look Vanessa, I know you don't want to face the police or your father right now, but do you..." he trailed off, hoping she would catch on his question.

"No, I think I should just head home. I wanted to see him dead for myself, but I don't think that's a good idea anymore. I can say my goodbyes to my brother at the funeral," she said, her voice quivering slightly at the very idea.

Dan merely nodded in response. "I can take you home."

Vanessa smiled at him with gratitude, but he could not return her smile. He had never been in a situation like this before and he felt completely useless at the present moment. He had no idea how to comfort her properly even though he desperately wanted to. He knew he would be devastated if he ever lost Jenny, despite their occasional quarrels.

* * *

Blair glided out of the elevator and headed for the stairs. She was really tired. She was secretly glad the weekend was here. At least she could sleep off this nightmare in time for school on Monday.

"Blair! Where have you been? Do you have _any_ idea what time it is?" her mother's voice rang out after her.

She had been so tired that she had failed to see her mother sitting in the living room. In fact, Aaron, Cyrus, and Dorota were all present. Blair blinked once. Then, twice. Was that little _Jenny Humphrey_ sitting on their couch?

"Blair! Where have you been? Does this have anything to do with Pete Fairmont's murder?" her mother repeated, completely distraught.

"What? How did you know about that?" Blair asked.

It was amazing how fast news traveled on the Upper East Side. No wonder no one bothered to read the newspapers anymore. By the time they were in circulation, it was all old news!

Eleanor looked at her daughter as if it were the silliest question in the world.

"I asked Jenny to deliver a dress for me to one of my clients at the Palace! She overheard the situation! She heard you were involved! She reported back to me immediately!" she cried, desperate for her daughter to refute the accusation.

"I was mother," Blair managed to choke out, causing Eleanor to burst into tears.

"The name of the Waldorf-Rose family has been tarnished! How will I face my clients now knowing my daughter took part in a murder?"

"Mother! Get a hold of yourself! I found the body, but that was it!"

Cyrus was trying to calm his wife down.

"Don't worry, Blair. You go up and rest. Your mother is simply terribly worried about you," he reassured her.

Aaron and Jenny simply sat there amused by the entire misunderstanding surrounding the morbid situation. Dorota even stifled a giggle. Blair escaped to her room and collapsed on her bed in relief as the cries of her mother downstairs eventually subsided. Her mother was too dramatic and to think you only inherit _half_ of your mother's genes. Half was more than enough when it came to _her_ mother. Eleanor Waldorf was probably only concerned that this would bring bad publicity to the launch of her new fashion line. She would undoubtedly tell Blair she was being replaced in the morning. She was sure of it. With that disappointing thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep only to be haunted by the images of Pete Fairmont dead and naked in her bed all throughout the night.

* * *

Chuck watched as she turned off the lights. Why had Nate been the one to drop her off? Where was that sorry excuse of a boyfriend of hers, Dan Humphrey? It wasn't any of his business of course and she _was_ still on his suspect list, but if she _was_ innocent, she could also be in grave danger. It was the only reason he had dropped by - to see if she had gotten home safely. _You keep telling yourself that._ Chuck cursed at the nagging voice inside his head. He was only concerned about Blair Waldorf on a sense of responsibility level. After all, he _had_ sworn to protect the citizens of the Upper East Side.

One thing was for certain, the murderer had been a cautious one. They had a goal in mind and was careful to cover the necessary bases. The key card system had been tampered with as were the installed security systems. The system backup had been disabled as well. This person knew what he or she was doing and knew the hotel inside out. Chuck knew from experience that this killer would do _anything_ to ensure their identity remained hidden. He had seen the way Blair had been talking to Nate in the car. She had definitely been asking too many questions for her own good and he could tell that Nathaniel had entrusted her with some confidential information. If this came to the attention of the murderer, things could get out of hand. Things could get ugly. Nate and him were trained professionals. Blair was an easy target. If she really was innocent, he would protect her. He would risk his life to do it. He let out a tired yawn as he drove away. As of right now, Bart Fairmont and his daughter were number one on his suspect list, but Chuck knew deep down that the list would only get longer when the evidence his team had gathered started to pile in. Here we go again!


	8. Making Amends

**A/N:** The main point of this chapter was to redeem a few of the characters and to nurture a peace between them. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Reviews are highly appreciated as always! This story has begun to run in now and I know exactly where I am taking it, so I will be starting another story very soon. However, Liar Liar will still remain a priority.

**Making Amends**

* * *

Serena walked into the kitchen and attempted to seem refreshed and energized. However, the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her. She grabbed a plate of hot pancakes off the counter top and swiftly left the kitchen. She was _not_ in the mood to have a family breakfast and she would never really consider the Humphreys her family anyway.

"Serena? Could I have a word with you please?" her mother called from the kitchen, demanding for her to return.

Serena sighed and reluctantly complied with her mother's request.

"Is there a problem mom?" she asked, defiance set in her beautiful eyes.

"Where were you last night?" Lily questioned.

"If by last night you mean why I missed dinner, I told Jenny to tell you that I would be at Penelope's sleepover party," she said defensively. "Besides..."

"I was aware of that, but I saw you sneak in at three in the morning," Lily interrupted.

It was at that moment that Jenny decided to cover for Serena. She had no idea what Serena had been doing last night or why she had left the party early, but she knew Serena would have had her back if she had been the one being questioned at the moment.

"She decided to leave the sleepover early. Serena told me this morning. Apparently, the entire party had been a failure. She snuck in because she didn't want to wake any of us," Jenny offered.

Serena was grateful to Jenny for the help, but she was now officially in a foul mood. She had been distraught after what she had done last night and she hadn't wanted anyone to see her in that condition. She sent her mother a profound glare, inwardly praying that her mother wouldn't push the issue any further.

Lily simply shrugged off her daughter's rebellious attitude. She had gotten used to it. Truthfully, she didn't blame Serena. Her marriage to Rufus _had_ been quite sudden. It had been a selfish act on her part. What kind of mother would give her child a one week wedding notice? She hoped Serena would forgive her in time.

Rufus cleared his throat, hoping to dispel the tension from the air. "How about you join us Serena? We haven't had a family breakfast in a long time."

Serena scoffed at his suggestion. "Well, it _was_ hard having a genuine family breakfast or any family meal for that matter with you staying at the Palace. It's nice to see you've moved back in. What did it? Did your ex-wife _finally_ explain everything to my mother or was it the marriage counselor that worked like a charm? I suppose she was worth every penny."

Serena immediately regretted what she had just said. She knew she had crossed the line with her latest comment. She needed to remind herself that she wanted to turn over a new leaf in her life. She was _going_ to work things out with Blair. She was _going_ to try and accept her new family and most importantly she was _going_ to forget what she had done last night, although somehow she knew it would haunt her for a long time to come.

Dan looked up from his pancakes in shock at Serena's outburst.

"How come I didn't know about this?" he asked, looking back and forth between Lily and Rufus.

"Yeah! What does this have to do with mom?" Jenny exclaimed, slightly hurt that her father had refrained from informing her about something that could have involved her mother.

"Personally, I am _thrilled_ that the family is reuniting, but what was so bad that you needed to spend money on a marriage counselor?" Dan added.

Lily sent Rufus an accusing glare as Serena settled herself next to Dan at the kitchen table. She had been hoping to keep the details of their rift from the children.

Rufus could sense her impending anger, "Lily, I would never..."

"Serena, I would like to speak with you in the living room," Lily interrupted him to address her daughter.

Serena bit her tongue. She knew that tone meant that her mother meant business. She followed Lily into the living room without another word. It was absolute obedience or all hell would break loose. She simply kept on reminding herself that she was trying to go back to being the old Serena.

"Serena, I understand that you are still upset about this marriage and I..." she trailed off before continuing. "...feel _horrible_ that I sacrificed your happiness for mine."

Serena looked at her mother in awe. She had no idea that her mother had felt remorse for what she had done. Suddenly, Serena felt like _she_ had been such a horrible daughter. Her mother had already been suffering from the guilt of her marriage and she had only added to her misery.

"Mom, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. It's just that you got married on a whim and I single-handedly pushed my best friend away. I lost Dan as well and I just...spiraled out of control," she started as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

It felt so good to finally let everything out.

"The thing is I'm not even in love with Dan anymore. Some of the feelings are still there, but time will change that. I know you've tried to make this family work and I haven't exactly been cooperative, but I..."

Lily wrapped her daughter in a tight embrace. She had heard enough to know that Serena had forgiven her and that she had her old Serena back. She pulled back from the hug and Serena laughed. The tears in her mother's eyes were identical to her own.

"So, what _did_ happen between you and Rufus?" Serena asked.

Lily sighed. "Serena..."

"You need to stop pretending that I live in a bubble mom."

"It was a misunderstanding. I thought Rufus and Allison had rekindled their romance, but it turns out that Rufus had only been helping her divorce her abusive husband. Allison called me to clear everything up. There was no marriage counselor though," Lily explained.

Serena felt terrible that she had pinned Rufus as a cheater. She had known about the compromising incident discretely through one of the maids.

"I'm sorry about the marriage counsellor comment," Serena said, offering her mother an apologetic smile.

Lily nodded. "You and Blair are still fighting?"

"Actually, I plan to work things out with Blair today. I'm not sure if she'll forgive me though. I haven't exactly received a reply to my earlier text message."

"Oh! Well, she was the one who found Pete Fairmont's body, so she probably has other things on her mind," Lily reassured her.

Upon hearing his name, Serena let out an involuntary shudder, a nervous look possessing her eyes.

"Serena, are you all right?" Lily asked, concerned at her daughter's sudden change in behavior.

Serena forced a smile to cover up her true emotions. "I'm fine. I'm just shaken by the news of his death. The fact that it could have been Rufus scares me is all. I _do_ care, despite how I've been acting."

"Of course dear. I was distraught when I heard the news as well, although I _am_ grateful Rufus decided to give his room to Pete at the last minute."

Serena continued to fake her smile as Lily took her hands in hers. She had no doubt that what had occurred last night would follow her forever. She would need to destroy all of the evidence before anyone found out about what she had done.

"Now, how about we return to that wonderful family breakfast of ours? I'm sure Rufus has informed Dan and Jenny of the situation," Lily declared, interrupting Serena's discerning thoughts.

Serena nodded in agreement and followed her mother back towards the kitchen, a grim expression blossoming on her face.

* * *

Chuck walked into his office that morning only to find Nate already waiting for him.

"Nathaniel," he acknowledged as he closed the door behind him.

"I figured you would want to start on the case immediately this morning. You probably stayed up all night as well."

Chuck smirked. "I knew there was a reason you were my best friend."

"Really? You seem more attached to your scotch than to me," Nate pointed out, grinning all the while.

Chuck took a seat at his desk.

"That _is_ true, but you're much easier to talk to. I never seem to get a response from my scotch."

Nate laughed, but quickly took on a more serious tone. "In all seriousness Chuck, I say this because I care. You really need some sleep, man. You look horrible!"

Chuck rolled his eyes and leaned back into his chair, ruffling through the papers on his desk.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, but it's not like I go around begging for cold-blooded murderers to target innocent people so that I may have many more sleepless nights," he reasoned.

"I'm afraid to ask, but how long is the suspect list this time around?" Nate asked, allowing a tiny laugh to escape from his lips.

Chuck let out a deep sigh and reluctantly got up from his seat. And to think he had just gotten comfortable! He walked over to his filing cabinet and removed a thin green folder, flipping through its contents before extracting a single sheet of paper. It was double-sided.

"It's not _that_ long. Bart and Vanessa Fairmont are on the top of my list right now," Chuck informed him.

Nate nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Pete Fairmont was interfering with a multi-billion dollar business deal that his father had acquired. Bart needed to maintain an image. Let's just say Fairmont Industries needed this business deal to save the entire company. Besides, his alibi is his daughter. I find that hard to believe."

Nate nodded. "I can question his daughter. What exactly is her motive for killing her brother?"

"She has no motive. She cared a lot for her brother," Chuck replied.

Nate raised an eyebrow in his direction in confusion.

"However, I _can_ charge her with obstruction of justice," Chuck explained.

Nate looked slightly shocked. "Man, you really don't let _anything_ or _anyone_ get past you, do you?"

"Nathaniel, you know it comes with the job description. What? You're telling me you would just let her walk away?"

Nate shrugged in response. "If her father asked her to be his alibi, how could she have said no? Would you deny _your_ father that request?"

Chuck frowned. "I'm sure my father would have never put me in that situation."

"Alright, let's just drop it. I'm sorry I mentioned your father," Nate said, giving Chuck an apologetic glance.

Chuck merely nodded and continued.

"So, you check up on his daughter and I'll get a head start on Bart Fairmont. It's not like we can look at the evidence just yet anyway."

"Yeah, Daryl mentioned everything was still being tested in the lab. He'll let us know immediately when the results come in," Nate confirmed.

An awkward silence ensued until Nate decided to speak up again.

"Look, I actually came here this morning to make sure you don't suffocate Bart Fairmont in this case."

Chuck became suspicious upon hearing his request.

"Why? He's not blackmailing you or anything, right? You don't have to take any of his shit if he's pressuring you or something," Chuck assured him.

"No, man. You know we get a lot of our funding for this department from Bart. He could pull our funds."

Chuck scoffed. "And if he _is_ the murderer? We just let him slide by simply because he may be responsible for my pay check and our expensive lab equipment?"

Nate sighed. "I'm not saying don't investigate him. I'm asking you to investigate him _after_ you've eliminated most of the suspects on your list."

"Nathaniel, are you selling out? I hope you remember why we got these jobs in the first place."

"I wanted to find my father and you and your father always talked about how wonderful it would be for you to serve and protect. I get it Chuck. We've been through this a _million_ times," Nate replied, his voice weary and close to defeat.

Chuck pondered for a moment. Although, Nate had never enforced his position on him, Nate was still his supervisor and he _should_ be heading to his orders.

"I'll lay off Bart, Nathaniel, but only until most of the suspects have been eliminated."

Nate gave him a genuine smile. "Thanks."

Chuck nodded. "I think I'm going to check in on Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey then and maybe pay Blair Waldorf a visit as well."

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Blair has been accounted for by the doorman. She is no longer a suspect."

Nate thought he saw a momentary flash of disappointment cross Chuck's face, but he shook it off. He must have been seeing things.

Chuck cleared his throat. "Right, well I'll just pay a visit to the Humphreys then," he replied.

He had to admit that he was slightly disappointed that Blair Waldorf was no longer a suspect. After all, she _would_ have been an interesting suspect to..._pursue_.

He started for the door. "I'll see you back here later and forget about Vanessa for now. It's probably more important that you stay here and wait for the evidence. Call..."

"I'll call you the moment the reports arrive. Seriously, man, _you_ should be _my_ supervisor with the way you take control of these cases," Nate joked.

Chuck smirked as he left, closing the door tightly behind him.

Nate let out a loud sigh as he took Serena's cell phone out of his pocket and examined it, turning it around in his hands. He had caught a glimpse of the evidence that his team had collected at the scene of the crime. The contents in each of the plastic bags had been indeterminable at a distance, but the single wisp of blond hair had been unmistakable. He really hoped Serena hadn't gotten caught up in all of this. Besides, there were plenty of blonds on the Upper East Side. He felt guilty for keeping all of this from Chuck. He felt _particularly_ bad that he hadn't told his best friend about his biological father, especially since he had discovered the _real_ truth about his identity. He would return her cell phone to her the moment Chuck was through with questioning Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey. He wanted to know if Serena had seen Pete Fairmont before his death and if she had, had she seen anything regarding the murder? He could probably also get a strand of her golden hair in the process to help clear her name when the time came.

* * *

"Good morning," Blair greeted her mother as she dragged herself into the kitchen.

"Blair, you look horrible. Go back to bed!"

As much as Blair tried to hide the sadness in her eyes, Eleanor witnessed her face fall.

"Blair, that's not what I meant. After the night you've had, you should stay in bed and rest. Anyone would look awful after having seen a dead body," Eleanor explained herself.

Blair looked at her mother in shock, her mouth slightly open. It was as if her mother actually _cared_.

"I'm sorry about my hysterics last night. Last night made me realize..." she trailed off, unable to carry on the conversation.

"You realized what mother?" Blair prodded, hoping her mother would express her true feelings.

"I realized that I could have lost you. If you had arrived earlier or something, the murderer could have targeted you!" her mother chocked out between tears.

Blair ran over to hug her mother. This had to be one of those rare mother-daughter moments that her friends always talked about, but that she had never experienced until now.

"Mom, I'm alright and I'd understand if you didn't want me to represent your new fashion line anymore," she said as her mother continued to sob into her shoulder.

Eleanor pulled back from her daughter's embrace. She could see now that she had been a terrible and distant mother all these years. She had been so close to losing her only daughter, who still loved and admired her despite all the pain she had caused her over the years. Last night had been a wake-up call for her. She was going to treasure Blair from now on.

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed, drying her tears and composing herself. "I have postponed the launch for the moment. When you recover from all of this drama, we can arrange for a photo shoot and all of that, but until then, you need your rest. I'll ask Dorota to bring your breakfast to your room."

Blair gave her mother a tiny smile. She really hoped this wasn't a fluke in her mother's personality and that she was _really_ going to care for her now. She had always felt so neglected over the years.

"I'm fine mother. I had a few nightmares last night, but I'm fine for the most part. I'm actually on my way to see Serena right now," she said, sitting down to eat her breakfast.

"I thought you and..."

"Yeah, that's why I'm going to see her. We're going to talk things out. It was all a silly misunderstanding. Besides, I haven't seen Dan since last night," Blair insisted.

Eleanor nodded. "Just don't overexert yourself. I'll be out all day. I'm postponing the launch of my fashion line, but the clothes will need to be ready. If you see Jenny, tell her to come in as soon as possible."

"I will and does this mean you'll also accept Dan now?" Blair asked.

She knew that was a stretch. Eleanor had taken a turn for the better, but accepting a Humphrey would probably be pushing her limits.

"Nice try darling. I still think you deserve much better. Someone with money and status would be much more appropriate. I would mention Pete or Robert, but they are both clearly out of the picture now. What about that handsome boy from high school? I hear Detective Archibald is still single. He's rich and he could provide you with protection," her mother reasoned.

"Mother! There will never be anything between me and Chuck!"

"Chuck Bass?" her mother questioned. "I didn't mention him. Are you all right Blair dear?"

Realizing her blunder, she blushed furiously. Archibald had been the operative word in their conversation and yet her brain had decided to freeze on her at the mention of handsome boy from high school. Her brain was a traitor. That's what it was.

"Yes mother. I'm fine. I just...I have to find Serena now!" she responded as she bolted out of the kitchen.

Eleanor remained rooted to her seat. She could sense that Blair was attracted to the boy. Chuck Bass. She had never considered him before. He _did_ inherit a fortune from his parents and he _was_ a detective as well. Nate was his supervisor, but she supposed Chuck Bass was still worthy of her daughter. _Anyone_ was better than a Humphrey.

"Dorota, I think we should invite the Humphreys to dinner sometime next week..."

The maid listened intently to her every word.

"...and be sure to invite Detective Bass and Detective Archibald as well. We want to…show our appreciation for the work they do for our…community," Eleanor finished with a satisfied look upon her face.

She wasn't interfering with her daughter's life per se, but it wouldn't hurt the steer her in the right direction. Detective Archibald and Detective Bass were both excellent prospects after all. Besides, couldn't that Humphrey boy withstand a little competition?

Dorota left Eleanor to her breakfast and to her thoughts, a knowing smile upon her face. Miss Blair would be _furious_ if she knew what her mother was planning.

* * *

Blair stepped out of the elevator. She missed coming to the penthouse. She had always made sure to avoid it whenever she had had a date with Dan because it would have only been awkward if she ever ran into Serena. She was glad they could put all of that behind them now. She started towards the stairs. She had sent a text to the blond moments before, so Serena knew she was coming. To her disappointment, Dan was out with Vanessa. She was probably still in need of comfort. Blair could understand that.

"Looking good Waldorf," a voice drawled behind her.

She didn't have to turn around to match a face with _that_ voice.

"Detective Bass, what are _you_ doing here? Are you following me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Chuck smirked. "Of course not. If I were following you, I would know that Nate dropped you off last night instead of that fantastic boyfriend of yours. I would also know that you were asking too many questions about the murder for your own good."

Blair gaped at his response.

"You were _following_ me last night? Who do you think you are?" she asked, jabbing her index finger into his chest after each word.

"I'm Chuck Bass," he answered, grabbing a hold of her wrist. "And that hurts you know. So, stop it."

Blair sucked in her breath as they glared at each other, neither of them willing to move. The mysterious vibe she had been feeling had returned and her earlobe began to tingle again. She swallowed hard as he took a step forward if that was even possible considering their already close proximity to one another.

"Detective Bass! We're sorry to have kept you waiting," Rufus said as he guided his wife into the living room.

Chuck abruptly let go of her wrist as Blair turned to leave.

"Blair?" Lily asked. "What are you doing here?"

Blair couldn't help but stutter slightly. "I...I...um...I was looking for…I'm here to see Serena...We're..."

"Oh yes! Of course. Serena is in her room dear."

"Right. Thank you," she said as she quickly walked out of the room.

She could still feel his intense eyes boring into her. That Basstard was probably mentally undressing her by now. The very thought caused her cheeks to turn crimson red. Somehow that _always_ managed to happen whenever _he_ was around.


	9. The Lyin’, The Bitch And The Cell Phone

**A/N:** I really do hope you enjoy this chapter. I am so happy that this story is really taking off now. I will update Turning Back The Hands Of Time sometime this weekend for those of you who are also following that story. Reviews are always loved!

**The Lyin', The Bitch And The Cell Phone**

* * *

Vanessa walked into the gallery, holding onto the strap of her purse for support. She was slightly worried because Dan had yet to return her earlier text message. She had tried to convince herself it was a risky plan as well, but she had a strong feeling that she should do this. Dan turned around abruptly at the sound of her footsteps on the hard-wood floor.

"Vanessa! Hey! I was just about to call you," he stammered.

He knew Vanessa was still really down and he _really_ wanted to support her, but her plan had been one notch above insane.

"Really?" Vanessa asked. "You have that I-tried-to-delay-this-conversation-for-as-long-as-possible look on your face."

A wary smile appeared at her deduction. He _never_ got anything past Vanessa. He motioned towards one of the tables, silently requesting for her to take a seat.

"Vanessa, you know I would support you through anything, but are you really sure you want to do this? It could become dangerous."

Dan had a _very_ bad feeling about this. Vanessa propped her head up with her right hand. She could tell that he was uncomfortable with the situation. To be honest, she was skeptical of her plans as well, but she knew it was something her brother would have wanted her to do for him though.

"I know there could be dire consequences, but I need to know if my father was responsible for his death. Dan, what other way is there?" Vanessa inquired. "I _know_ this is what Pete would have wanted me to do for him."

"I want to be there for you Vanessa and you know I will be if you decide to go through with this. I am simply suggesting that you be upfront with your father," Dan recommended.

Vanessa maintained her blank stare.

"I hate to admit this, but Bart Fairmont is _not_ what most of humanity would classify as an honest man. I know he has never kept anything from me that would affect me personally in the past, but I think this time he will. Last night, I casually alluded to the idea of funeral plans for Pete and he blatantly shunned me," Vanessa clarified.

Dan chuckled, trying to lighten the mood of the conversation. "You have a point, but this whole super secret undercover master plan is _so_ not what we do!"

Vanessa failed to see the humor in the situation.

"I realize that this may seem immature or out of character to you, but I have a strong vibe that this is what my brother wants me to do. I can still _feel_ him here with me."

She paused slightly before continuing. "Besides, who do you propose we hire to do this instead? I mean, Bart most certainly has every certified PI in Manhattan eating out of the palms of his hands," Vanessa informed him.

Dan sighed.

"Let me ask you this, Vanessa. What exactly do you hope to achieve with mission impossible?"

"Well, if we find out he's innocent..."

"And if we don't?" Dan interrupted.

"Then, I will confront my father and give him a chance to give himself up," Vanessa replied.

"And if he doesn't? Give himself up I mean..."

Vanessa paused before giving him a response to his scenario.

"Then, I call the cops. You know that would be the right thing to do," Vanessa explained.

Dan nodded. He knew he would probably do the same in her situation. No one escaped the law. It didn't matter who was involved. A crime was still a crime. There were _no_ personal emotions and judgments when a serious crime was involved.

"So, how do you plan on getting me a position at Fairmont Industries? It can't coincide with my classes."

Vanessa smiled when she realized Dan was going to support her plan.

"Don't worry! I made sure it would fit your schedule. I was going to get you that internship with Bart, but he filled the position this morning. He _is_ looking for a new assistant for his secretary however..."

Dan gave her an utmost glance of disbelief.

"Who hires assistants for their secretaries?" Dan asked, dumbfounded by the very idea.

Vanessa laughed. "My father obviously and I'm sure his secretary will approve of you taking the job."

"I have to go through his secretary?"

"I _am_ his secretary," Vanessa countered.

"Since when? You never took an interest in Fairmont Industries!"

"I know, but Bart always wanted me to take business at Yale instead of media studies. He was never going to leave Pete with the family business, so he was more than thrilled when I called him this morning and said I would love to be his personal assistant and help out around the company. It won't interfere with my classes either."

"And somehow, this is how we're going to miraculously find out if your father is guilty? How about we just leave this to the professionals?" Dan protested once more.

"Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass? Yeah, why didn't _I_ think of that sooner?" Vanessa reasoned.

Dan sighed in defeat. "You have a point _as always_. When do I start?"

Vanessa grinned. "Tomorrow, but first, let's work out the details of our master plan."

* * *

Blair strode up the stairs, fanning herself to rid herself of the blush she had temporarily acquired. She took a calm breath before knocking on the door. There was no answer.

"Serena?" she whispered as she stepped into the room.

Serena spun around abruptly at the sound of her voice, sending her hair brush clattering to the floor.

"Blair? What are you doing here?" she asked.

Blair could see the genuine look of shock on her face.

"I sent you a text message before I came. Did you not know I was coming? I thought you wanted to work things out!" Blair answered, explaining her presence.

Serena rummaged through her purse. Where was her cell phone?

"Sorry B! I must have left it at the slumber party last night," she offered.

Inside, Serena was panicking. She knew she must have dropped it at the Palace. She could only pray that it had fallen out of her purse in the lobby or the elevator instead of in his _room_. Her mother would _not_ be happy to know that she was a suspect in the murder of Pete Fairmont. She hoped her cell phone was in safe hands.

"I suppose you really have forgiven me S. I think this is the first time we haven't called each other by our _endearing_ nicknames," Blair noted, smirking at the blond.

Serena broke into a fit of giggles.

"I do have to admit that we _were_ quite creative with those."

Their laughter eventually subsided, reminding them of the issue at hand.

"Should we talk about it S?" Blair offered.

She knew her best friend was thinking about the slew of incidents that had occurred during senior year as well.

"Blair, I want to apologize for what I did. I was _so_ stupid and unreasonable. You told me you were innocent and I _still_ shut you out," Serena started.

"I honestly was innocent S. I only went out with Dan much later. There was never _anything_ between us before that. I would never do that to you."

Serena smiled. "I know. I actually discovered the truth behind the misunderstanding a while ago. I was too stubborn to admit I was wrong. The consequences of what I did had been so severe. I had no idea how to make things right, you know?"

Blair returned her smile. "We'll leave the past in the past. Besides, I should thank you. You saved me from possibly spending the rest of my life with Robert."

Serena cringed at the reminder of Robert.

Blair laughed. "That bad S?"

Serena could only nod. Robert had been such a dull boyfriend. She had never even truly liked him. On an act of impulse, Blair walked over to wrap her best friend in a bear hug.

"I missed you S."

"I missed you too B," Serena responded, slowly pulling away from her tight embrace.

"You will _never_ guess who my mother is trying to pair me off with," Blair shared, seating herself on the bed.

Serena quirked an eyebrow in her direction.

"Nate Archibald," Blair stated.

"Nate Archibald? I suppose that would make sense. He has money and he could protect you. Eleanor would _love_ such a prospect for her daughter," the blond reasoned, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Yeah, but he has a huge crush on you."

Serena stopped to stare at her best friend.

"_What?_ How do you know?"

Blair rolled her eyes.

"It was obvious. He was sending me home last night and he started asking about you. He wanted to know if you were single."

Serena masked a smile. She still harbored slight feelings for Dan, but Nate had potential. He was always nice to her in high school. He _did_ have a set of beautiful eyes.

"Serena, are you even listening to me?" Blair asked, snapping her fingers at the blond.

"Did you tell Eleanor Nate is interested in me? That will probably make her stop annoying you about it," Serena suggested.

"I hope so. I would sooner date Chuck _Bass_ than Nate Archibald."

Blair clasped her hand over her mouth at the realization of her confession.

"Chuck Bass? Why are we mentioning Chuck Bass?" Serena questioned, confused at her sudden outburst.

Blair chocked back her words.

"I was offering an example Serena. He happens to be working with Nate now, so it was convenient to mention him."

Serena could sense that there was more to it than that, but who was _she_ to draw conclusions? She decided to allow the subject of Chuck Bass to dissolve itself.

"I have somewhere I have to be Blair. Would it be alright if I caught up with you later?"

Serena _really_ wanted to spend some time with Blair. They had a lot of catching up to do, but she _really_ needed to retrieve her phone from the hotel. It was a matter of life or death. She still needed to destroy the evidence. The sooner she did it, the better. The difficult part would be tracking _down_ the evidence.

"Where are you headed to S?"

"I was planning to pick up my cell phone. I have a feeling Penelope has it," Serena explained.

Blair nodded.

"I think I should probably head home anyway. It would be awkward to stay here. Lily and Rufus are currently being questioned by Detective Bass."

Serena gasped. "Why are _they_ suspects? Is he planning to question _me_ next?"

Blair could detect a hint of panic in her voice.

"Relax Serena. You have nothing to worry about. You had nothing to do with the murder. Besides, Chuck Bass is delusional. He thinks _I_ killed Pete as well and I only stumbled upon the body!"

Serena smiled at her attempt to calm her, but her nerves refused to absolve. She went over to the dresser and grabbed her purse, heading for the door.

"Thanks Blair. Anyway, I better see Penelope now. I think she has another party to host tonight."

Blair followed her best friend down the stairs. She had an inkling that Serena was keeping something from her, but who was _she_ to draw conclusions? Serena would tell her in time. They both needed time to adjust to the sudden renewal of their friendship anyway.

* * *

"I understand Mr. Humphrey that you had no idea who Pete Fairmont was until last night?"

"I knew who he was, but I have never had any previous contact with him," Rufus replied.

Chuck could sense a slight discomfort in his voice.

"You have had _no_ contact with him at _all_ Mr. Humphrey? What about you Mrs. Humphrey?" he pressed, turning his full attention towards her.

"_Neither_ of us have had any contact with Pete Fairmont," Rufus interjected, answering the question for his wife.

Chuck had done enough research last night to know that Pete had been blackmailing the Humphreys. He was unable to find out what exactly he had blackmailed them _with_ however. He knew it would be a bad idea to confront them now. It was better if he discovered it on his own.

"Is my husband in any danger detective?" Lily asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Chuck rubbed his forehead.

"We do not presume at the moment that Mr. Humphrey was the intended target. We are fairly certain that Pete Fairmont was meant to be the victim. However, is there anyone that would hold a grudge against you Mr. Humphrey?"

Rufus shook his head as Lily said, "Todd Jenkins could be after my husband."

Rufus sent Lily a glare as Chuck made a note of the name.

"Todd Jenkins. What would he have against Mr. Humphrey exactly?"

"Allison divorced him recently. Rufus helped her with the divorce. He was an abusive and possessive man. He could have a grudge against my husband," Lily clarified.

"Allison is your first wife. Is that correct Mr. Humphrey?"

Chuck held in a groan. He had another suspect to add to his list. Truthfully though, he was almost positive that Pete had been the intended victim. The room was immaculate when his team had examined the crime scene. The murderer knew what he or she was doing. Pete Fairmont had _definitely_ been the target.

"Yes, that is correct," Rufus responded, still unhappy that Lily had mentioned him.

Allison did not need to be involved under any circumstances.

"Detective Bass, will you please look into this. I am really worried for my husband," Lily pleaded.

Chuck offered her a confident smile as he spotted Blair Waldorf in the corner of his eye. Their eyes met momentarily as she waltzed by the living room. He needed to talk to her.

"I will do what I can," Chuck assured her as he stood up to leave. "Thank you for your time. I may need to do some further questioning later, but this will do for now."

"You have our full cooperation," Lily promised as Rufus shook his hand.

Chuck smirked as he left the Humphreys in the living room. With or without their cooperation, he was planning to discover what Pete Fairmont had been blackmailing them with. Nothing ever escaped his skepticism, but for now, all he could think about was Blair.

* * *

Blair swiveled around as she felt his hand grasp her arm.

"Can I help you with something detective?"

Chuck smirked. "I need to have a word with you."

Blair continued to glare at him. "Is this an _order_ detective?"

"Why not?" Chuck answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I might as well put my authority to good use."

Serena let out a cough to regain their attention. She honestly had no idea what was happening between Chuck and Blair at the moment. They never spoke to each other much in high school, but she could sense the tension between them. She secretly hoped that Blair was not falling for a Bass. The results could be detrimental to the well-being of humanity. She shivered at the very thought of a Waldorf and a Bass procreating.

"You can head out first Serena. I'll catch up with you later," Blair stated without taking her eyes off of Chuck for even a split second.

Chuck held the intensity of her glare as he maintained his grip on her arm, neither of them willing to move. Serena shook her head and disappeared into the elevator. The tension in the air was suffocating her.

Blair spoke up the moment the elevator doors had closed.

"You _really_ need to stop showing up around me randomly detective and please keep your hands to yourself," she requested, shaking off his hand.

Chuck laughed. "I think _you_ need to stop showing up around _me_ randomly Miss Waldorf."

Blair glowered in his direction as the elevator arrived back at the penthouse. She was secretly glad that Serena had left first. An elevator ride with her _and_ Chuck would have been a complete nightmare. She slipped into the elevator with Chuck close on her heels. He stood at the opposite end of the elevator as they started their descent towards the ground.

"I actually wanted to apologize for framing you as a suspect. I hope you know it comes with the job," Chuck explained.

He glanced nervously in her direction. Chuck Bass hardly ever apologized to anyone, but for some reason, he felt compelled to do so with Blair.

Blair could only stare at the realization of his apology. Chuck frowned at her response. He had been hoping for more of a reaction from her.

"You also need to stop asking questions about this case Blair. I know Nate confided in you last night about some very confidential information," Chuck continued.

Blair sneered at him upon hearing this. "Are you afraid of a little competition detective?"

Chuck grinned. "You really have _no_ idea how dangerous this murderer is do you?"

Blair scoffed. "I think I can handle it."

This had to be the longest elevator ride _ever_. Blair shifted uncomfortably from side to side. Was the elevator shrinking?

"You think you can handle it. Really? What happens when you come too close to revealing his identity Blair?"

He took a step towards her. Blair noticed this and took a step back only to be stopped by the mirrored wall behind her.

"What happens when the murderer knows you know who he is Blair?" he asked, taking yet another step in her direction.

Blair swallowed at his proximity. How long did it take for the elevator to arrive at the ground floor? There _had_ to be something wrong with the mechanics.

"What happens when this cold-blooded killer wants to silence you forever?" Chuck continued, smirking at her discomfort.

Chuck reached for her arms and pinned them on either side of her head.

"What if he pinned you against the wall like this and threatened to kill you Blair?" he whispered.

Blair struggled slightly, but remained still when she realized Chuck was much stronger than she was. She would never be able to escape from his grasp, so she could only glower at him.

"I can handle it," Blair reiterated.

Chuck laughed. "You sure?"

He tightened his hold on her as he lost himself in the sound of her steady breathing. There was something about those lips that made him lose control. He leaned in subconsciously as the elevator doors opened, forcing him to release his hold on her.

Blair took the opportunity to duck out of the elevator. She felt like she could breathe again. That had been a close one. She had had a sudden urge to kiss him and she almost had. She turned around one last time to address him before leaving the building.

"Detective Bass, I can handle it. Besides, how come you seem to be so sure that the murderer was a man? Would you have trouble handling a woman?" Blair questioned, throwing him a sarcastic smile.

With that, she swiftly left the building without sending another glance in his direction.

Chuck stood rooted to the ground. He needed to stop losing his control when he was around her. He was a professional, but somehow he always seemed to forget that tiny detail in the presence of Blair Waldorf. His thoughts were interrupted by the familiar ring tone of his cell phone.

He flipped it open to take the call. "Detective Bass."

"Detective Bass? You are _never_ going to believe what I found out."


	10. Hidden Agenda

**A/N:** This is clearly a shorter chapter. I could have made it longer, but I needed it to end where it ended. Please review!

**Hidden Agenda**

* * *

"This better be really good Daryl. I was deep in thought about...something important," Chuck stated.

"Most of the results have not been sent to our department yet, _but_ Janice was able to reveal a very odd aspect of the murder," Daryl replied.

Chuck sighed into his phone. "You want to tell me what that odd aspect is _before_ I lose my patience Daryl?"

"Well, they found multiple stab wounds on the body..." he trailed off for an added effect.

"Do we actually _pay_ these people to figure these things out? I could have told you that."

Daryl ignored his comment. He had worked as an intern for long enough to know that Chuck was _not_ the most pleasant man in the world, especially when his patience was being tested.

"Two of those wounds were made _after_ his death," Daryl finished.

Suddenly, Chuck became _much_ more interested in their conversation.

"Were they made with a different weapon?" Chuck queried.

There was a slight pause from Daryl. "Yes, but how did you know that?"

Chuck laughed. "Here's your lesson for the day Daryl. There are two possibilities I can think of for a scenario like this. Either we have someone with a _really_ twisted mind on our hands or the killer wants us to _think_ that two people were involved in the death of the victim."

"How do you know that?" Daryl asked.

"When you have solved as many homicides as I have, the cases tend to repeat themselves. Just keep me posted on those results Daryl."

Chuck would not deny that Daryl was one of the smartest interns working in their department. He would always be able to detect the hidden scenarios behind each of his well thought out lessons.

"I will Detective Bass."

Chuck remained on the line, knowing full well that Daryl would unearth the scenario very soon.

"I think I have the hidden scenario!" Daryl shouted in excitement.

Chuck smirked. "Well done. That was actually a whole minute faster than I expected."

"Mr. Humphrey _could_ have been the intended target. The killer could have been oblivious to the room switch that had occurred only moments before. He could have mistaken Mr. Fairmont for Mr. Humphrey and killed him in the heat of the moment. He later covered up for his crime. Hence, the immaculate crime scene as well as the misleading wounds on the dead body."

Chuck smiled. He had thought of this particular scenario _much_ earlier of course, but he was genuinely ecstatic that Daryl had figured it out as well. When _he_ was an intern, he loved the rush of uncovering the hidden scenarios that _his_ supervisor had hinted at through his numerous lessons.

"Great work Daryl, but Mr. Humphrey could still very well be our murderer. He has no alibi. Anyway, hold down the fort and call me right away when those reports come in."

Daryl responded eagerly. "You got it Detective Bass!"

Chuck put his cell phone back in his pocket, shaking his head. There were so many scenarios to consider, but the intent of the killer in each and every scenario was hard to ignore. He or she would evidently stop at nothing to keep their identity hidden. Blair Waldorf had absolutely no idea what kind of heartless killer she was up against. He would have to keep tabs on her in order to keep her safe because he knew better than to ask her to stop investigating the case again.

* * *

Blair stepped out of the cab and hurried up the short flight of stairs. The house was absolutely stunning. Robert had clearly done well for himself, since his parents had disowned him not too long ago. She knew that it was only a matter of time. After all, Robert was highly independent. He would have refused to inherit the fortune that his parents would have left him with anyway.

She took a deep breath as she rang the door bell. She had tried to tail Serena, but she had been so caught up with her inappropriate thoughts of Chuck that she had lost track of her best friend. This was the next best thing, even though she had initially been dead set against contacting Robert in the cab. She desperately yearned to catch the killer before Chuck Bass. She would show him what Blair Waldorf was truly capable of.

The door swung open and Blair found herself staring at the sight of a shirtless Robert. She shielded her eyes as a healthy blush formed across her cheeks.

"I am _so_ sorry R. Do you have company?" Blair inquired, turning her head to the side to avoid surveying his well-toned upper body.

"Relax B. You've seen me shirtless before," Robert reminded her, winking in her direction.

Blair blushed even deeper still. "May I come in?"

Robert nodded and guided her up the stairs towards his bedroom. He put his hand on the small of her back as they made their way down the hall and she tensed beneath his touch.

He chuckled. "Blair, I am _not_ interested in you. You need to relax. I have a fiancée."

Blair looked up at him in shock. "You have a _fiancée_?"

Robert shrugged in response. "Is that so hard to believe? You moved on and I moved on! Anyway, I have the information you wanted. I have it all saved on my trusty computer."

Blair nodded numbly in his direction as he booted the machine. She was still trying to wrap her head around the very fact that Robert was engaged. The announcement had thrown her off of course. She had no feelings whatsoever for Robert anymore, but she had always figured that _she_ would be the one to get married before him even after the two had gone their separate ways. Of course, this was also coming from the same woman who had always imagined _herself_ as his future fiancée, ever since she was a little girl. Her dreams and desires had most certainly changed since then and she was confident that his had too.

_Blair skipped over to her boyfriend and gave him a quick peck on the lips._

"_I love you," she whispered as she pulled away from their kiss._

_Robert smiled. "I love you too."_

_They settled onto the soft blanket that he had lain on the grass and he immediately enveloped her in his strong arms, holding her close. Blair sighed contently as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. She loved their Saturday tradition. She would spend the night at his house and they would sleep peacefully under the starry night sky as long as the current season would allow for such a ritual._

"_Robert? Have you ever thought about our future?" she asked, observing the illuminated stars that were currently embedded in the night sky._

_Blair loved the bright stars that lit up the night. Robert had told her on their first date that a star would appear in the night sky for every time he thought of her. She knew the very idea was ridiculous now, but she had believed it then. The sentiment of what he had said was still endearing though. She would never forget the words that he had spoken to her that night for as long as she lived. It was the first time she had felt truly loved._

"_I know I want you to be my wife," he answered without hesitation._

_Blair smiled at his response. "I know that R, but have you ever envisioned our wedding day?"_

"_I figured you would be the one planning the wedding B," he said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Besides, who cares what the wedding is like as long as both of us are there to exchange our vows?"_

_Blair snuggled closer to him then and he held her tighter than he had before. Neither of them said another word that night as they fell asleep in each other's arms. Neither of them was willing to dispel the magic of the moment that they both prayed would last for a lifetime._

"Blair? Are you even listening to me?" Robert shouted, snapping his fingers in her face to get her attention.

Blair sighed. They had _definitely_ changed a lot since those romantic nights. Robert wasn't the same person anymore and neither was she. She no longer held onto her ridiculously high expectations of love and he was well...engaged to another woman.

"Sorry Robert. What were we talking about?"

Robert groaned in frustration. "_You_ were talking about nothing. _I_, however, was briefing you on the victim of that murder that for some reason you're so keen on investigating. I swear men will never understand the female psyche."

Blair rolled her eyes. "That's because they would actually need _brains_ to achieve that oh so simple task. Now, stop being so dramatic R. What's the scoop?"

"You know I hate repeating myself Blair, but I'll make an exception for you given...our history," he teased.

Blair growled. "You're lucky I let you keep your balls after that whole sleeping with my best friend ordeal. I thank God _everyday_ that I never slept with you. I would have been even more devastated. Furthermore, I wouldn't even have come here if I didn't know you were the best of the best. You can dig up absolutely anything about anyone! Have you ever considered becoming a PI?"

"Nah! I do this for fun," Robert answered as he continued to type on his keyboard. "Anyway, Pete ran with a shady crowd."

"Wow. Thanks R. Tell me something I don't know," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I see your love for sarcasm hasn't worn off after all this time. Chill B. I'm getting to the good stuff. I like to build my momentum with these reports, you know? By the way, has anyone ever told you that you're a total bitch when you get impatient?"

Blair scoffed. "I'm a total bitch anyway. Now, please continue before I lose it Robert."

He let out a loud laugh before continuing. "You might want to get in touch with Jonathan. You know Eric Bass right? Jonathan is his current boyfriend. Pete may have had multiple competent people working for him, but he trusted Jonathan and _only_ Jonathan when it came to the details of his personal dirty work. You could probably get quite a bit out of this kid."

"Jonathan is his current _boyfriend_? I didn't even know Eric was gay," Blair stated, pushing the rest of what Robert had said temporarily to the back of her mind.

Robert shrugged. "Well, he doesn't exactly go around parading his sexual orientation. In fact, his own brother doesn't even know about this. You remember Chuck Bass, right B? You know, the _one_ guy who dared to reject you in high school or _ever_ for that matter?"

"That was your fault. _You_ were the one who ditched me to escort your I-can't-find-a-suitable-date cousin to the charity ball," Blair shot back at him.

He raised his arms in defeat. "You win B. I surrender."

Blair remained motionless, waiting for him to finish his report on Pete.

"Alright, so Pete was a drug dealer, but you know that already. What you may _not_ know though is that his favorite past time came in the scandalous form of blackmail, which entails that you have a _long_ suspect list ahead of you."

Blair frowned at the news. "Do any one of these blackmailing incidents seem super suspicious to you or do any of them seem relevant to this particular case?"

"I would say Rufus Humphrey and his wife. Pete blackmailed them recently. I have no idea with what, but I have a feeling you'll figure it out. I mean, Mr. Humphrey _did_ initiate the room switch only moments before the homicide had occurred. On top of that, he has no alibi. The only flaw in suspecting the Humphreys though is that they actually paid Pete the amount that he had asked for to keep his mouth shut without any complications. I just can't see why they would kill him off after that."

"Pete could have been greedy and asked for more money. I mean, you never know," Blair offered.

"Whatever the reason, I'm sure a smart girl like you will figure it out. I'm just here to provide you with the initial information."

"Anyone else?" Blair asked, leaning over to peer at his computer screen.

Robert shielded the screen from her view just as Blair caught a glimpse of the last name on the list – Serena van der Woodsen.

Blair stepped back in shock. Pete had been blackmailing Serena? Why?

"No one else we knew too well Blair. I think you should just stick to investigating the Humphreys for now," he suggested.

Blair knew that she would gain nothing by aggravating Robert about what she had seen, so she said her goodbyes and left, leaving her head swarming with all kinds of questions. Why was Robert trying to protect Serena? Did he still have feelings for her or was Robert somehow involved in all of this chaos? Blair held her already throbbing head in her hands as she climbed into the waiting cab. There were so many unanswered questions, but Blair knew as did everyone on the Upper East Side that secrets are never buried for long.

* * *

Serena made her way carefully down the hall towards the dreaded room, praying that Pete would not come back from the dead to haunt her. She had managed to convince the concierge to lend her the card key to the suite. He was too trusting to question her motives, but she had explained to him that Bart Fairmont had asked her to check up on the condition of the refurnished room. It made perfect sense to the concierge, since her mother had been the one to introduce the interior designer, Amelia, to Bart in the first place. Serena did have to admit though that it was slightly odd that Mr. Fairmont would want to refurnish the suite so soon after the death of his son. She supposed Bart had always shown an evident disdain towards Pete, but what parent wouldn't mourn the death of their child?

She slowly opened the door and stepped inside. The suite was in perfect condition. It was almost as if the events of last night had not transpired. She knew her efforts would be pointless, but she rummaged through the drawers in search of her cell phone. There was nothing on the floor or on top of the bed. There was nothing beneath it either. She even checked the bathroom, but her cell phone _still_ refused to turn up. She had tried calling herself earlier as well, but she had been referred directly to her voice mail.

Serena was so engrossed in her futile search for the mobile device that she did not hear the door gently creaking open nor did she hear the sound of the footsteps that were coming her way.

"I have to say the refurnished room is breathtaking Serena and that I am an _avid_ fan of Amelia's work, but what exactly are you doing here?" a strangely familiar voice inquired.

He motioned towards the open drawers and crumpled bed sheet, raising an eyebrow in her direction. Serena could only stare at him in shock. What was _he_ doing here? She was cold, hard busted and this time around there would probably be no escape.


	11. The Undiscovered Details

**A/N:** Eric is amazing. No one can disagree with me on that.

**The Undiscovered Details**

* * *

Blair smiled as she gingerly stepped out of the limo. The house that loomed before her was absolutely stunning and the well-kept garden to the side of the house was breathtaking as well. She drew in a deep breath as she approached the door. It was time to pay Eric and Jonathan a visit.

She rang the doorbell twice, patiently waiting for either one of them to answer the door. When neither of them did, she raised her arm to make her presence known again. However, a single carving near the doorknob stopped her, capturing her attention. She knew a hydrangea when she saw one. It had been intricately carved into the door though she wondered as to why it was there.

"Blair Waldorf," Eric acknowledged, interrupting her thoughts. "What can I do for you?"

He casually leaned against the door frame waiting for her answer.

"You can invite me in," Blair stated, a smile consistently painted across her plump lips.

It was evident that Eric had no choice in the matter. It was a transparent order. He smirked at her command and Blair recognized it almost immediately. She supposed there was a smug smirk gene running through the Bass blood that had somehow spared the rest of the families on the Upper East Side. He swung the door wide open, motioning for Blair to step inside. He closed the door behind her and gestured for her to follow him into the living room. She seemed to have interrupted a serious study session as evident by the number of textbooks carelessly strewn across the carpeted floor. Jonathan frowned slightly at her disruption.

"We can skip over the introductions and excuses Blair because Jenny called a moment ago and blew your cover. I also know you know that Jonathan is my boyfriend, so we can skip over the awkwardness of all of that as well," Eric explained as he took a seat among the endless sea of reading material.

Blair glanced over at Jonathan who merely confirmed what his boyfriend was saying. Who Eric chose to date was his business, but she was going to have to have a word with Jenny about her blatant betrayal.

Eric laughed out loud knowing full well that Blair was most likely concocting a plan inside her head right now to get back at Jenny for betraying her.

"Jenny was just trying to help, so please don't torture her for no reason. She asked us to cooperate with you because you've been having a rough couple of days and apparently my dear brother isn't making it any easier."

Blair could only nod in response. All thoughts of her revenge on Jenny had evaporated from her mind. Why did Eric have to bring _him _up of all people? And to think she had successfully refrained from thinking about him at all the entire trip over. She hated that she was so weak sometimes.

"Well, your brother is nothing less than charming in case you haven't noticed," Blair responded, sarcasm dripping from her every word.

Eric was quick to defend his brother. "Don't judge him Blair. I know he may seem irritating and smug to you, especially since he initially framed you as a suspect, but you have to understand that sometimes we are who we are because of the dark corners of our pasts."

Blair was taken aback by the sudden seriousness in his voice. Eric had always been wise beyond his years. He read people like they were open books. She hadn't had much contact with Chuck, but she had chatted with Eric on occasion. At times, he was like the little brother she never had. She never quite understood why Eric was always happy and carefree, while Chuck seemed to hold a certain disdain for everything around him. It didn't matter though. Eric was right. She was in no place to judge him or either of them for that matter. She knew how the past could scar a person, but she shook her head, refusing to dig up the old memories of _her_ past. Her parents' divorce and her resulting condition was the last thing she wanted to think about.

"Sorry about that Eric. I didn't mean to..."

Eric smiled again and disregarded her apology with a wave of his hand. "Don't be. The accident was a long time ago. Besides, I know what my brother is like. I have to live with him on a daily basis after all. So what do you want to ask me and Jonathan?"

Blair's curiosity only heightened at the mention of an accident and she wanted to pry if only a little bit into Chuck's past. Eric did have a point. You _could_ really get to know a person by understanding their past first because the past is really what brings people to the present and into the impending future. Of course, her purpose for coming here was to find Pete's killer and this was simply irrelevant at the moment. Luckily, her misdirected thoughts were cut short by Jonathan's voice.

"I have nothing to hide. You can ask whatever you would like to ask me. I'll answer them if I can, but I make no promises of course."

Blair made a mental note to thank Jenny later. Perhaps the blond had really helped in making this easier for her. Convincing Eric to cooperate was one thing, but to convince Jonathan to cooperate was probably a whole other ball game. A promotion from her measly internship position was definitely in order.

"Let's get straight to the point then. Did you or did you not kill Pete Fairmont?"

There was no need to start with the pointless and petty questions first. Blair Waldorf had a distaste for beating around the bush and this was exactly one of the many things that she wanted to know. She wanted to find out the juicy details regarding Pete's secret blackmailing operations as well, but eliminating Jonathan as a suspect first was probably the way to go.

"No," he replied, his eyes slamming shut at the very idea.

It was as if even the _idea_ of him killing Pete was nothing short of horrific. Blair was careful to read his seemingly pained expression, but he seemed to be telling the truth. Eric also nodded to confirm the statement, so she did not press the issue further. She knew that Eric would never lie to her and he was an upright individual. He would have given up his own boyfriend to the authorities if Jonathan was indeed the culprit.

"Honestly, I would never have the guts to do it. He'd probably come back from the dead and haunt me. He had a vast array of networks if you know what I mean. I'd find the killer soon Blair. Can I call you Blair?"

She consented to his request.

"So, yeah Blair. If you don't find the killer soon, I'm sure one of his devoted followers will. You mess with one of us; you mess with all of us. I'm not naming names here, but one of them has plans of avenging his death."

Blair wrinkled her nose in confusion. "Why would _any_ of his followers be this loyal to him? No offense, but Pete was a walking drug store and he was quite the drug addict as well. He was openly rude to everyone and we all know he bribed people and blackmailed them to entertain himself. He had a lot of deranged hobbies. Now, why would anyone be devoted to him enough to want to avenge his death?"

Eric shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the reality of the conversation began to set in. He had never approved of Jonathan joining Pete's gang, although the sugar-coated word had been secret society. He had argued with him over and over that it would be dangerous, but when Jonathan had told him that he owed Pete his life, he had caved. Apparently Pete had rescued Jonathan from his abusive parents and had taken him under his wing after that. Eric had always known that Pete was like a brother to Jonathan. He had been living with him for crying out loud, but he always hoped that Pete wouldn't drag Jonathan into all of his nonsense when the time came for him to join the gang.

"That's what people saw when they looked at him. That was what people chose to see, but for those of us who really knew Pete, he was a more than decent guy. He always had my back and he never once judged me," Jonathan explained in a quiet voice.

Blair could see the tears well up in the younger boy's eyes and she didn't have the heart to push him any further on the subject of Pete's character or his obviously close relationship with the victim.

"Jonathan, I know you can't name names, but is there someone else who would be able to?"

Eric flashed him a warning glance knowing that Jonathan was about to give that someone else away.

"Don't give me that look Eric. She's _your_ friend. I didn't even want to go through with this questioning session until she convinced _you_ to convince me."

"Jenny? What does she have to do with this?" Blair asked, genuinely shocked at the revelation.

Eric sighed. "Jenny was...the love of Pete's life."

Blair's mouth gaped open at the news and Eric took her silence as a cue to expand on his statement.

"Pete fell for her back in high school and when he graduated, he promised he would come back for her. He wasn't always like this you know with the blackmailing and the drugs. Even after he had changed for the worse though, he still loved her."

"Go on," Blair urged, shaking slightly at the anticipation of hearing more.

This investigation was getting more and more exciting. It wasn't a good thing that a classmate of hers had been murdered, but she wouldn't deny that unravelling the secrets of the Upper East Side was nothing less than a thrill ride. I mean, she _had_ been the Queen B. She lived and breathed gossip.

"So, in the midst of his downward spiral, he would often go to her when he genuinely needed help."

Jonathan interrupted Eric to clarify what Eric had meant by help. "What Eric means is not the kind of help you think. He had the secret society to back him up when he was in _real_ trouble. What we mean is that Jenny was his emotional support system. I may know about his inner workings and secret operations, but if he ever spilled anything _really_ important, it would have been to Jenny."

"Was Jenny interested him then? Did she love him back?"

This was becoming more and more like a twisted soap opera rather than a suspenseful murder investigation.

Eric took control of the conversation again. "No. She only secretly dated Pete to fill a certain...hole in her heart."

"Nate," Blair uttered knowingly.

Jenny had confessed her love for Nate to Blair after she had gotten _completely_ drunk at one of Blair's many high school parties. Blair had never breathed a word to anyone about her confession though.

Jonathan flipped to another page in the textbook before him. "Yeah, so you're better off asking _her_ about this."

"No," Eric said firmly. "Blair, please don't dig up these old wounds for Jenny. You know finding out who's avenging Pete's death isn't really that important to the case. After all, you would both be after finding out who the killer is, right? You have no idea how shaken she is by his death already."

Blair could tell that Eric was sincerely begging her not to drag Jenny into this.

"Besides, you're not supposed to be investigating this case. I bet you weren't even that interested in solving the murder until my brother had gotten on your case about being a suspect. Knowing him, he probably unofficially challenged you to finding the killer before him by saying something rash like you not possibly being able to handle such a case. Am I right?"

Damn! Eric was _still_ so perceptive. She decided to gear the conversation back towards Jenny.

"I understand Eric. I suppose even knowing this follower's identity won't help me track down the killer," she reasoned. "Let me ask you something else then Jonathan. What do you know about Pete blackmailing Serena as well as Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey?"

"I can't help you there Blair. Pete would only tell me _who_ he was blackmailing. He would never go into the details because even though I was part of the gang, he never truly wanted me to get involved with anything too serious, you know?"

Blair sighed in frustration, tucking a strand of hair that had gone astray behind her ear. They weren't really getting anywhere with this conversation.

Jonathan leaned forward. "I _can_ tell you though that Serena seems like more of a suspect to me. You see, I also know who paid their dues and who didn't if you catch my drift. Pete was happy with the sum that Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey had paid him. I know that much. That also happened about a month ago, so why wouldn't they have killed him earlier? Why wait until now, right?"

Blair's interest in the conversation was successfully restored. "And Serena? When did Pete start blackmailing her?"

"The morning before Pete was murdered," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Did Serena pay him off?" Blair asked.

She didn't want to believe that her best friend was the murderer, but truthfully, she hadn't really _known_ Serena for a long time. People changed. She did. That was for sure.

Jonathan laughed at her question. "_Pay him off?_ No, not exactly. Pete didn't ask her for money. He asked to spend one night with her. I don't think you want me to expand on that statement," he finished, sending a wink in her direction.

"You mean..." Blair trailed off, shivering at the very thought.

She knew she would have to get a hold of Serena as soon as possible to sort this all out. Blair was certain that Serena wouldn't have resorted to murdering Pete. Then again, it _was_ Pete. Hell! _She_ would have murdered him before sleeping with the sleaze bag.

"You might want to leave now Blair," Eric suggested, interjecting her thoughts again. "Chuck should be home soon and I don't think he would be too happy to know you were questioning us, since he hasn't even thought of questioning the two of us yet."

Blair smirked. "Thanks Eric. So, I was one step ahead of him then? You have _no_ idea how happy that makes me."

She stood up to leave and Eric walked her to the door.

"By the way Blair, I'd keep tabs on Bart Fairmont. Chuck has him down as a primary suspect."

Blair turned back to look at Eric in shock. "Why are you telling me this?"

Eric shrugged. "Deep down, I know my brother is thrilled to be racing against you in discovering the identity of the murderer. Just promise me one thing Blair. Feel free to bruise his ego in the process, but don't break his heart."

And with that, the door clicked into place, leaving Blair standing on the steps as a tiny smile formed upon her face.

* * *

"I asked what you were doing here Serena," he repeated, taking in her never waning beauty.

"Nate! I have a perfectly good explanation as to why I'm here," she stuttered.

Nate laughed at her nervousness. "No need to go all jitterbug on me. I'm not Chuck. I don't automatically label everyone as a suspect, you know. So, how are you Serena?"

Serena let out a huge sigh of relief when she realized that Nate was only joking around with her.

"I'm fine. I'm just looking for my phone. Last night, Pete and I...I mean, Pete stole my phone, so I've been looking for it. I wouldn't want the police to find it, you know..." she mentioned, trailing off when she realized that Nate _was_ a detective.

Serena's eyes grew wide at her erroneous slip to which Nate laughed again in response.

"Relax Serena and you'll be happy to know I found your phone last night in the lobby. I kept it for you lest Chuck find it and put you on his suspect list," he explained.

"Thanks Nate! You're a lifesaver!" she cried a little too loudly.

She pulled him into a friendly embrace and Nate blushed at the contact. They had spoken to each other in high school, but they had never had any physical contact. Embarrassed with her impulsive action, Serena stepped back from him abruptly and apologized.

"Sorry about that," she mumbled.

At that moment, Nate had the sudden urge to ask her out right then and there, but his inner voice stopped him. It was probably a bad idea to even ask her at all to consider dating him. After all, she had been the most popular girl in high school along with Blair and he was well...close to nothing. The Chuck inside his head, however, was trying to suppress the opposing voice of reason inside his head. _Do it Nate! You haven't told me how much you like her yet, which you should soon because I'm your best friend, but if you had told me, I would have told you to ask the blond out. Come on! She's hot stuff! Besides, you're a hot shot detective now! Be a man Nate! Be a man!  
_

"I can't just ask her to go out with me!" he blurted out.

"What?" Serena asked. "Were you talking to yourself or were you talking to me?"

Nate blushed when he realized that that had been his outside voice. Serena found it endearing and she already knew that she was the subject of the conversation going on inside his head anyway. Moreover, it would be good to have Nate by her side in case Chuck came around to questioning her. She had a feeling that Nate was more than infatuated with her and he would probably do anything to protect her. Yes, it would definitely be a good idea to have Nate on her side.

"Sorry Serena. I was just...uh...I was just..." Nate muttered as he tried to cover up for his outburst.

Serena smiled. "What are you doing tonight?"

* * *

Blair couldn't wipe the stupid smile off of her face as she walked away from the Bass house and towards her waiting limo. She heard someone cough behind her, causing her to spin around to address the noise. She immediately reverted to defense mode upon seeing the perpetrator of her happy thoughts.

Chuck smirked as he witnessed the horror on her face. She had probably been questioning Jonathan and Eric. He had thought to question them himself, but it was currently an insignificant pebble on his road to finding the cold-blooded killer. He would pretend he had never thought of it though and give her the satisfaction of being one step ahead of him. He admired her determination. Besides, who could _possibly_ pass up such a great opportunity to get on her nerves? Irritating Blair had definitely become his favorite pastime. Watching her squirm her way out of this situation would be even more entertaining and rewarding.

"Miss Waldorf, there better be a _really_ good reason as to why you're here or I'm afraid some...punishments...may be in order. Nothing kinky I assure you…unless you want them to be."


	12. A Single Spark

**A/N:** I wanted to take a breather since I finished two of my exams yesterday. I still have more, but I needed a break. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I plan to update A Week In The Hamptons today as well. Please take a moment to review this chapter!

**A Single Spark**

* * *

Blair remained silent, refusing to look him in the eye lest he realize he had an unexplainable control over her whenever he was near her. His voice swiftly cut through her muddled thoughts.

"Miss Waldorf, I am _not_ going to ask you again. What are you doing here?" he repeated.

He leaned slightly towards her, hoping to intimidate her. It seemed to have worked like a charm in the past. Much to his disappointment, she merely smirked at his words.

"You just did," she pointed out, stating the obvious.

"What? What did I just do?" he asked, genuinely confused by her statement.

Blair leaned slightly towards him this time as he held his breath in anticipation. His eyes bore into hers neither of them willing to back down. The rest of the world shrank back in silence as they continued to stare at one another. Blair was the first to surrender when she finally took note of the sincere confusion in his eyes.

"Never mind then Detective Bass. I figured an _intelligent_ man such as yourself would have caught on to what I was pointing out, but never mind. I was wrong about you," she started, knowing full well it would only irritate him further. "To answer your previous question detective, I was here to question Eric and his boyfriend and you and I both know you hate yourself for not thinking of it first."

Chuck opened his mouth in retort only to be interrupted by her angelic voice.

"No need to make something up Detective Bass. Eric already told me," she informed him, grinning from ear to ear.

She was thrilled that she has been one step ahead of him. It was exhilarating. Blair Waldorf never backed down from a challenge nor had she ever lost one in her entire life.

"What do you _mean_ his boyfriend Miss Waldorf? Did Robert tell you this when you paid him that apparently very necessary visit to his house today? _Your_ boyfriend won't be happy to hear about this," he teased, shaking his head at her behaviour.

Blair stood back as if slapped and was evidently at a loss for words.

"You _need_ to stop following me! Find your _own_ leads detective!" she warned him, her eyes flaring up with anger.

Who did he think he was following her around like that? Before she could ponder over her question, Chuck grabbed her wrist harshly and let her know that he meant business with his charcoal eyes.

"I am _not_ going to repeat myself Miss Waldorf. I may _care_ that you went to find Robert and I _may_ have an issue with you questioning Eric and Jonathan, but you will _not_ under any circumstances tell _anyone_ about Jonathan being his boyfriend. Do I make myself clear? I will destroy you."

Blair could only nod numbly in his direction. Truthfully, the sudden change in the tone of his voice had scared her. She shrugged off his tight grip on her wrist.

"What makes you think I would blab about something like that? I would never betray Eric like that! Robert told me you had no idea about his sexuality. How did _you_ find out?"

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Robert also said he would love you forever. Nice to see that worked out for you Blair. To answer your question because you seem to be _brimming_ with them Miss Waldorf, I happen to have a very close relationship with my brother. He confides in me and I will _always_ be there to protect him, so believe me when I say that I _will_ destroy you if you so much as _breathe_ a word to anyone. Eric will make his sexuality known when the time is right for him. Do you understand me?"

Blair could sense the seriousness in his voice. "I understand. I promise I..."

Chuck held up his hand to interrupt her as his cell phone began to sound off.

"Detective Bass," he said, motioning for Blair to stay where she was.

Chuck directed a sarcastic laugh at the caller.

"You must be seeing things," he said after a long pause and proceeded to hang up.

"What was that all about? Do you have a new lead or something?" Blair questioned curiously as Chuck slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"Do you _really_ think I would share a new lead with you?" Chuck responded, raising an eyebrow. "That was Eric. He seems to think we have some unresolved sexual tension between us. What do you think about that Miss Waldorf?"

Blair was about to make a snide remark when she realized that he was telling the truth. Her eyes grew wide upon her awareness and she took a step back from him for good measure. He pointed behind him and sure enough Eric and Jonathan were spying on them from the upstairs window. Blair sent them both an intense glare, causing them to scurry away from the window in fear. She cursed inwardly to herself as the curtains fell back into place. Damn Eric for being so perceptive all the damn time!

Blair cleared her throat to dispel the awkward silence.

"Well, this has been interesting detective. However, I do have places to go and people to see, so if you'll excuse me."

She turned around and began walking towards the limo before she felt herself being pulled back abruptly. Before she could protest, his lips were on hers, sending an involuntary shiver of pleasure up and down her spine. She struggled to escape from his grasp as he wrapped his arms tightly around her delicate waist. Eventually, she gave in to his touch, looping her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. He pulled away from her after awhile both of them gasping for air. Neither of them would deny the sparks they had felt, but neither of them would openly admit to them either.

"So, did you feel anything?" Chuck inquired, trying to steady his ragged breathing all the while.

He sure as hell knew _he_ had felt the sparks. He had been with his fair share of women over the years and yet this one kiss left him with a feeling he had never had before. It was as if there was something fluttering in his stomach. It was as if his stomach had suddenly become a habitat for nothing less than a million butterflies.

"Of course not," she replied, her lips still burning from his touch. "I have a _boyfriend_. Did you feel anything?"

She sure as hell knew _she_ had felt the sparks. She had only been with Robert and Dan so far to be fair, but somehow she knew that no one would ever kiss her again like Chuck Bass had just now. It left her with a familiar fluttering in her stomach. Those butterflies had visited her during her relationship with Robert and made their presence known whenever she had been around Dan as well, but this feeling had been foreign to her for awhile.

"Of course not," Chuck retorted out of an attempt to save his pride. "I was simply _resolving_ the sexual tension that Eric claims that exists between us."

Blair glanced away to hide her disappointment. "Then we can forget this ever happened Detective Bass."

She climbed into her limo without looking back at him once. His face fell slightly, but he quickly freed himself of such an expression as he walked back towards the house. This _had_ to be a fluke. Chuck Bass felt butterflies for _no one_, especially not _Blair fucking Waldorf_.

* * *

"_You_ were the one who wrote me that love poem in senior year?" Serena asked, shocked at his confession.

Nate nodded, staring down at the food before him.

"I wanted to ask you to the prom as well, but I chickened out at the last minute," he added, pushing his peas around his plate.

Serena smiled at his discomfort. He really was a sweetheart. She felt slightly guilty that her intentions had been to use Nate solely for the purposes of security. This was becoming a whole lot more than what she had bargained for. She had encountered Nate many a times in high school, but they were merely friendly with each other. They were far from close friends, but tonight she had seen him in another light. He was a gentlemen and he really knew how to make her laugh. He fed her with all the right compliments as well. They were honest, but not too over the top. Yes, this first date was definitely more than what she had bargained for.

"I would have gone with you had you asked. How is the case coming along?" she inquired, swirling the wine in her glass around.

Nate was thrilled that Serena had agreed to a first date, although technically she had been the one to ask him out. This was everything he had imagined in high school. They were at a wonderful restaurant, the food was amazing, and most importantly, the girl he had always dreamed of was sitting directly across from him. She was beautiful and smart and she had a wonderful sense of humor as well. He felt like he was the luckiest person in the world at that very moment.

"All the evidence is currently still being tested at the lab, but we already have a few suspects in mind. I think Chuck has you on his suspect list, but he really has everyone on there, so you have nothing to worry about. Besides, innocence is innocence, right?" he answered her quite eagerly.

Serena let out an awkward laugh and decided it would be best to change the subject of the conversation for now. She _should_ be prying further into the subject, but for some reason, she wanted their first date to be perfect. Her unexpected change of heart for Nate forbade her from ruining the glossy atmosphere of the evening.

"More wine Serena?" he offered, interrupting her thoughts.

She accepted and tilted her glass towards him. Nate picked up the bottle nervously, wanting to make a good impression and began to pour the liquid into the glass. However, nothing came out from the mouth of the corked bottle.

Serena giggled. "You have to take out the cork Nate."

Nate blushed furiously. "Of course. I seem to forget the simplest things in your presence Serena."

He lifted the bottle and pulled on the cork. It refused to budge. He pulled harder this time only to have it fly across the table to hit Serena in the eye. She cupped her stinging eye, giving a tiny yelp as he apologized profusely for what he had done. He reached over the table to comfort her, forgetting that the bottle of red wine was still in his hand. Serena let out an exasperated scream as she felt the liquid course down the length of her dress.

"I am _so_ sorry Serena!" he cried, putting the bottle down on the table, which a nearby waiter whisked away immediately to prevent any further accidents of the Archibald kind.

He went over to her side of table and handed her a few napkins as she began to dab at the splotches on her dress. Suddenly, Serena burst out laughing as Nate continued to stare at her in horror.

"I _could_ charge you for attempted murder detective," she teased, trying to lighten the mood of the current situation.

Nate did not find the situation quite as funny as she did, but he was glad that she was far from upset.

"I _am_ sorry Serena. I wanted the evening to be..."

"...perfect," she finished for him.

The next thing he knew, her lips were on his and they both lost themselves in their kiss as a few people in the restaurant let out a cheering whoop.

* * *

"Have you found anything yet?" Dan asked, panic evidently laced in his question.

Vanessa let out a frustrated sigh.

"You've been asking me that for the past half hour. Will you just relax? He said he'd be back in an hour," she reminded him. "I'm nervous enough without having you remind me of the fact that we're snooping."

Dan remained unconvinced, poking his head out of the office door again to analyze their current situation.

"Stop checking the hallways Dan. Don't you think it would look even more suspicious if my father saw your head peeking out of his office door?"

Dan closed the door quietly and began pacing around the room.

"Sorry Vanessa. I still think we should hand this over to the authorities," Dan pleaded with her.

Vanessa ignored him and continued to look through the numerous computer files before her. She sighed in frustration.

"None of these documents or spreadsheets look suspicious to me," she murmured. "Can you please check his schedule book? The old secretary, Sarah, was kind enough to drop it off for me this morning. I haven't had a chance to look at it though. Meanwhile, I'll see if he has any encrypted files or folders on here."

Dan stopped his nervous pacing and did as he was told. The sooner they found something, the sooner they could get out of here.

"I feel bad for Sarah by the way. You offer to be his personal secretary and before you know it, she's being transferred to another department. I suppose the raise she received made the move more than worth it. Anyway, your father had a clear schedule on the night of the murder. I honestly think that he had no alibi and simply panicked," he reasoned.

Vanessa continued to type a string of commands into the computer as she addressed his statement.

"I've told you this over and over again Dan. My father is smart enough to know that having no alibi doesn't exactly frame him for murder. Look, I'm not saying that my father murdered his own son, but I have a strong feeling..." she trailed off, staring intently at the computer screen.

Dan understood that she had probably found what they were looking for and made his way over to the desk. Honestly though, he _still_ really didn't know what they were looking for.

"What _is_ all this?" Vanessa asked, clearly confused by all of the technical terms and jumbled numbers displayed before her.

Dan motioned for Vanessa to get out of her seat and took control of the mouse, scrolling down slowly to assess the contents of the encrypted file.

"They're stock transactions. Apparently, Bart has been buying a large amount of stocks in Fairmont Industries," he revealed.

Vanessa looked at him, complete bewilderment evident upon her face.

"Why would my father need to buy shares in his _own_ company?" she asked, questioning the logic behind such an act.

Dan frowned as he continued to view every single transaction that had been made recently.

"Well, your father is the primary share holder in the company, but the board owns a part of Fairmont Industries as well. It seems like Bart was purchasing stocks from the board members themselves," he explained.

Vanessa scoffed. "Why would he want to do that? I mean, what would be his motive? He already has full control of the company being the primary shareholder and all."

Dan shrugged. "I have no idea. I know what you're getting at and I completely agree with you."

He printed off a few pages of interest and handed them to Vanessa.

"The really odd factor about all of this is that Bart is actually purchasing these stocks for much more than what they are actually worth. No wonder some board members have been more than willing to sell them to him! Heck! I would sell them to him if I had any!"

Vanessa chuckled. "I'm sure you would. Now, is there anything else you can deduce from these files oh wise one?"

Dan grinned. "As a matter of fact, I do notice one more thing. Bart is only contacting two members on the board about purchasing their stocks. So either he hasn't had the chance to contact all the other members or he has some secret reason for doing all of this. Clearly your father doesn't want anyone to find out about any of this."

Vanessa nodded, taking all of this information in. She bit her lower lip, trying to think things through.

"He is _definitely_ hiding something. I mean, all the other board members would probably jump at a chance like this, especially since you said he was paying much more than what those shares are actually worth."

"That's exactly my point," Dan affirmed. "Not to mention the fact that he's paying well over _double_ for them."

Dan closed the encrypted file and proceeded to bring up the financial records for Bass Industries. He had hunch that the records would probably be able to help them with mission impossible.

"These are the financial reports for Fairmont Industries over the last ten years. Apparently, the company has recently recovered from destitution and is bringing in a lot of business from all over the world. Well, I guess maybe your father just had some extra cash to spend. Could you please tell him that the Dan Humphrey Foundation is looking for generous donations the next time you see him?"

Normally, Vanessa would have laughed at his question. Instead, she remained silent, a tinge of confusion gracing her features.

Dan sighed. "What are you thinking Vanessa?"

"What do you _mean_ the company has recently recovered from destitution and is bringing in a lot of business from all over the world?"

Dan crinkled his nose before replying.

"Let me try this again. Fairmont Industries was _poor_ and now..."

"I know what you meant Dan! I mean, how come I had no idea the company was tanking?"

"According to these financial reports, it all started a few months ago after a deal gone bad," he informed her. "Thank God I ended up taking a few basic business classes or this would all be gibberish to both of us. How did you even manage to find and decode the encrypted file by the way?"

Vanessa smiled. "I have practice. I use the technique to hide all finished documentaries on my computer. You never know when someone happens to want to steal your masterpieces. So, do you think this has anything to do with the murder at all?"

Dan shook his head. "I know your brother was involved in that secret society of his, but why would he delve into Fairmont Industries? His dirty work has never involved the company before."

Vanessa did not make a remark, so Dan continued to speak.

"Bart could be involved in a shady operation. I have a theory. It is possible that what we have discovered today really _is_ some illegal operation your father happens to be running. I have no idea what proof we really have of that, but just flow with it for a moment. Maybe he was dealing with said operation on the night of the murder, which is why he wouldn't give up his alibi even if he had one. Chances are it was his partner or even partners in crime. That's probably why he asked _you_ to be his alibi," Dan said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"What if he killed Pete because he found out about said operation Dan? He still could have hired someone to do his dirty work for him as well," Vanessa countered.

Dan sighed again as he closed the remaining open windows on the computer screen.

"I think this whole mission impossible notion is messing with our heads. There is nothing incriminating about what we have found. Sure some of the transactions are a little odd, but your father is an odd man."

Vanessa laughed at this. "I suppose you have a point. I am totally over thinking everything. I just really want to find out who killed my brother. I loved him so much."

She chocked as she spoke those heart-wrenching words. Despite their differences in the way they lived their lives, no one understood her more than her brother did. Even Dan came in second to Pete.

"I think I need to be honest with my father and just ask him what this is all about. Even if I _did_ find proof that he did it, I would need to hear it straight from him to truly believe it, you know?"

Dan smiled as they both headed towards the door. However, the sound of a jiggling doorknob and voices on the other side stopped them dead in their tracks.

"We can talk about this in my office Jenny, but please keep your voice down."

Dan could only stare at the door in horror upon hearing his voice. Not only was Bart Fairmont about to catch both of them red-handed, but his own _sister_ was standing on the other side of the wooden barrier. What could Jenny possibly have to say to Bart?

The doorknob started to turn at an excruciatingly slow pace. Vanessa was quick to snap out of her state of shock and dragged Dan with her into the closet directly to their right. It would be the only thing that would conceal them on such short notice and she secretly prayed that neither her father nor Jenny would be donning a coat today.


	13. Time Out

**A/N:** Hooray for long chapters! Please review and thanks for reading!

**Time Out**

* * *

Bart walked over to his desk and motioned for Jenny to take the seat across from him. He shuffled some papers around and tried to make his desk a little more presentable.

"Mr. Fairmont, I would like to..."

Bart put up his hand to stop her from going any further.

"I have only been aware that you and my daughter are fairly good friends, but you said you knew my son and his...activities very well. Pete has never mentioned you before, so how exactly do you know my son Jenny?" he asked, curious as to her relations with Pete.

"He probably has mentioned me. You just chose not to listen," she retorted. "Anyway, you could say we were very close friends I suppose. My friendship with him was even stronger than my friendship with Vanessa."

Jenny was careful to keep her answers as vague as possible. Bart Fairmont had no need to know the details of their private lives. She was here to help Pete and that was exactly what she was determined to do.

Bart nodded firmly at her response. He could tell that the young girl had shown up with a purpose in mind and any details he was hoping for would most likely not be revealed.

"So, what brings you to my office then? Please make this quick Jenny. I have another meeting to get to in about five minutes."

Jenny smiled sweetly at the older man. "I have a feeling you'll cancel that meeting to hear my concerns Mr. Fairmont."

Dan and Vanessa stayed as silent as possible in the small closet, hoping to catch as much as they could of the conversation. Neither of them had even known that Jenny knew Pete so well. Dan looked over nervously at Vanessa. He really hoped his sister wasn't involved in all of this. Chances are it was illegal. Vanessa patted Dan lightly on the arm to reassure him before turning her attention back towards the conversation.

Bart crossed his arms, giving the young blond a stern look. "And why would I do that Jenny?"

"Because I know more than you think about the stock fraud and your cover up operation," Jenny replied confidently.

Vanessa let out an audible gasp, causing both Jenny and Bart to pause momentarily to observe their surroundings.

"Did you hear something?" Bart questioned.

He was probably being paranoid, but this was definitely not something he wanted to be under the scrutiny of the public eye. This scandal would ruin Fairmont Industries with absolutely no chance of resurrection. It was bad enough that Jenny knew about the scandal. Bart did not doubt that she had been really close with his son. He needed to be careful where he tread. Upsetting Jenny could lead to the fall of the company and the reputation he had worked so hard to build.

"It was probably a mouse or something," Jenny offered.

Dan released a breath he had no idea he had even been holding. He motioned for Vanessa to remain quiet. Vanessa nodded her head in response, biting her lower lip to stifle a giggle. Dan was looking a little blue from holding his breath so much.

"Now, let me make myself clear Mr. Fairmont. I plan to keep my mouth shut, so you don't have to worry about me going to the authorities," Jenny assured him to which Bart let out a sigh of relief.

"I am only here on behalf of Pete," she continued. "I know he would have wanted me to speak his mind for him. I suggest you let someone know you'll be late for your next meeting."

Bart nodded and punched some numbers into his phone. Vanessa held her breath and thanked the heavens that her phone had been set to vibrate. She moved towards the back of closet as far as she could from the door to answer the call.

"Hello," she whispered, praying that Bart wouldn't be able to hear her from inside the closet.

"Vanessa? Why are you whispering?" Bart wondered.

Her mind drew a blank for a moment before she noticed a random book lying on the floor.

"I'm at the library," Vanessa explained. "I'm trying to do some extra research on that deal the company is about to sign off on."

Dan looked horrified and held his breath waiting for his answer.

"Alright then. I'm proud of you Vanessa. Anyway, could you please let the board know that I'm running late? I have some important business to take care of."

"Of course father," she responded. "I'll let them know."

Vanessa hung up the phone as did Bart and the tense atmosphere of the room returned thicker than ever.

"Do you want to tell me why my son committed stock fraud in the first place?"

Jenny laughed, eliciting a confused look from Bart.

"I'm sorry Jenny," he started, looking slightly offended. "Did I say something amusing?"

"Why do you _care_ why Pete did this? I'll humor you though Mr. Fairmont. You never cared for your son. He thought you hated him. All his life, he tried to be the perfect son for you, but you wouldn't even look at him twice. Do you _know_ how many times he came to me torn to pieces because of a hurtful comment you made?"

Bart remained silent, so Jenny took the liberty to continue.

"Do you _know_ how many times he wanted to kill himself because you refused to believe he was your biological son? So, yes, Mr. Fairmont. Pete may have committed stock fraud, but with good reason."

"This is..." Bart spoke up.

"I'm not finished," Jenny said, putting a hand up to stop him. "He indulged in his secret society and his rebellious ways because he figured since you already thought of him as a screw up, why not actually be one? This stock fraud plan of his was his ultimate way of getting back at you because honestly, what's more important to a man like you than the reputation of his company and subsequently his own reputation?"

"I had no idea my son felt this way Jenny nor did I take you for such a talkative girl. I took you more for the shy and quiet type," he said, still maintaining his cool demeanor.

"Bullshit Mr. Fairmont," Jenny shot back, ignoring his comments on what he thought of her personality. "You knew. He confronted you once about what you were doing to him and you told him he was being ridiculous and sent him away. You accused him of being _drunk_."

Truthfully, Jenny _was_ the shy and quiet type that Bart at pinned her for, but when it came to the people she cared about, she would unleash the stronger side of her. She had loved Pete despite the fact that she hadn't been _in_ love with him.

Vanessa still couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had no idea her brother had been so dysfunctional solely because of their father. Pete had told her that he had tried to confront their father once about his feelings, but she had no idea things had ended badly. Pete had told her everything was fine when she had asked him about it afterward. Jenny must have meant a lot to Pete if he had let her in on so much. Vanessa knew that Jenny was probably the girl that Pete had casually mentioned about being in love with once or twice.

Dan reached over and took Vanessa's hand in his to show his support. Vanessa smiled gratefully and they both turned back towards the conversation on the other side of the door.

"Is this conversation going anywhere Jenny because I really am a busy man," Bart reminded her.

"I just wanted to say my piece Mr. Fairmont," Jenny explained. "I know you would never have the guts to kill your own son and I have no idea who did, but that doesn't even matter anymore. I just wanted you to know that Pete died thinking that nobody loved him except for me and his sister. He had always strived to be the son you wanted and yet you weren't even a sliver of what he wanted in a father if you can even call yourself that."

Jenny witnessed a darkness develop in his eyes and she knew she had probably crossed the line. Who could blame her though? It was hard to keep her emotions in check in a situation like this. Pete had _died_. That night when she had found out about his murder, she had been horrified and the worst part was that she had to act like she was unaffected by it all.

No one knew of her relations with Pete except for Eric and all the members of Pete's secret society. She really had no one to turn to and she had kept all of her emotions bottled up inside. At first, she had been in denial over his death. Then, she had drained herself of her tears. All that was left now was the flicker of anger that was still within her. After this, Jenny knew she would finally be able to let him go.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave Jenny. Please don't make me call security," Bart threatened.

"I can let myself out Mr. Fairmont, but I hope you remember everything I've said today," Jenny told him as she stood up from her seat. "I know you're trying to repurchase those fake stocks now to save your reputation because let's be honest here. If Pete was still alive and there was a way to incarcerate him without bringing down Fairmont Industries, you would do it. Even if you _do_ succeed with your cover up operation, I hope your son's death haunts you for the rest of your life Mr. Fairmont."

With that, Jenny strolled out of his office, leaving Bart to his thoughts and Dan and Vanessa to their shock over everything that had just transpired.

* * *

Chuck walked into his office only to find Daryl, Janice, and Nate all waiting for him.

"I assume some if not all of the results are in for the Fairmont case?" Chuck asked. "I mean, I know it's definitely not my birthday."

"We have the results!" Daryl shouted excitedly.

Nate laughed at the boy's enthusiasm. "Yeah man. The results came in this morning. We've got some pretty interesting stuff to fill you in on."

Chuck smirked. "You mean _they_ have some pretty interesting stuff to fill me in on, right Nathaniel? I heard you had a hot date last night unless said hot date had something to do with the case?"

Nate coughed uncomfortably, signaling for Chuck not to say anything else. Daryl and Janice simply looked on in amusement.

Chuck gave a curt nod towards Janice and took a seat at his desk. He grabbed a pen from the drawer and flipped open his notebook.

"Alright, let's hear it," Chuck said, signaling for them to start.

"I'll start!" Daryl raised his hand, waving it frantically.

Nate stifled a laugh and Chuck sent him a hard glare to silence him.

"Well, we can eliminate Todd Jenkins as a suspect for starters," the eager intern started. "He was nowhere near the scene of the crime on the night of the murder. Mr. Humphrey being the target seems unlikely to me."

Chuck nodded. "Sounds good, but the idea of Mr. Humphrey having been the intended target can't be eliminated just yet. He could have other enemies we may not know of. What else do you have for me?"

Daryl crinkled his nose before continuing. "Well, this is based purely on my own speculations, but I found it odd that none of the staff were in the key areas of the hotel around the time of the murder. I went to check it out."

Chuck shot him a look of disapproval. Daryl quickly covered for himself.

"I wasn't questioning the staff _officially_ of course. I pretended to be a nosy guest and apparently there was some sort of commotion in the ballroom at the time. All of the staff were asked to report to the ballroom immediately except for a few personnel like the doorman."

"Patience meter running low Daryl," Chuck warned him as he continued to jot down notes.

"Alright! The bottom line is that Georgina Sparks was the one causing all of the drama. According to one of the staff, she seemed to be inebriated. This could be a coincidence, but..."

"What are the chances that a distraction as convenient as this one would occur in or close to the timeframe of the crime?" Chuck finished for him.

Daryl smiled. "Exactly! Also, all of the tapes from the time of murder and onwards were tampered with. We have no existing tapes that reveal her escapade, which would mean that..."

"...this most likely happened only moments after the murder," Chuck finished for his intern again.

"Good work Daryl," Janice cut in.

Her praise was echoed by both Chuck and Nate, causing Daryl to beam with utmost happiness.

"Georgina could have killed Pete and done this to create somewhat of an alibi. Most of the staff would probably testify for her presence at the time of the murder, since both events happened so closely to one another," Nate offered.

"Georgina could have been giving an opportunity for the real murderer to escape as well, although someone must have seen the perpetrator. We need to head back to The Palace and ask around," Chuck added.

"I can do that Detective Bass!" Daryl volunteered. "I play the part of the nosy guest quite well if I do say so myself."

Chuck nodded at the boy and Daryl took it as a sign of consent. He left the office immediately to start on his new task.

"Alright Janice. You're up next," Chuck informed her. "What do you have for me?"

Janice smiled and began to give her detailed report.

"The suspect left us with almost no evidence. He cleaned up the place very well, but we did find some drug remnants on the side table. It has proven to be cocaine. There was also a piece of thread stuck on the knob of one of the drawers in the room. This thread is extremely unique."

Chuck let out a fake yawn. "Patience meter running low Janice."

Janice rolled her eyes at his dramatics.

"So is mine," Nate added.

Chuck stifled a laugh as Janice glared at the two detectives. She allowed them to regain their composure before continuing.

"The thread we found is unique. There are only two fashion designers around here that use this kind of thread. The first is Eleanor Waldorf of Eleanor Waldorf Designs and the second is her intern Jenny Humphrey, although she now has designs of her own as well."

"Eleanor Waldorf has been accounted for already, which leaves Jenny Humphrey," Nate shared, stating the obvious.

"Thanks for that Nathaniel," Chuck mentioned sarcastically.

"We also found a strand of blond hair at the scene of the crime, Janice informed them. "A match has not been found at this point in time, but I assure you that tests are still being run. As for the other evidence we collected that night, we are still waiting for the results."

"Thank you Janice. I envision a raise in your future," Chuck encouraged her.

Janice laughed before walking out. "I see a raise in my future as well detective."

Nate waited for the lab director to leave before speaking up again. "The blond hair most likely belongs to Jenny, right?"

"Slow down there Nathaniel. We have quite a few other blonds on our suspect list to pin it on Jenny right away," Chuck replied. "Speaking of hot blonds..."

"Who was talking about hot blonds?" Nate inquired.

Chuck smirked. "Well, now that you mention it Nathaniel, how was your first date with Serena? You should be ashamed of yourself for keeping something like this from your best friend. I thought I mattered to you man."

Nate rolled his eyes. "What about you and Blair? Eric called me last night and told me all the juicy details. Sounded like a pretty hot kiss Bass."

Chuck groaned. "Betrayed by my own brother."

Nate laughed. "I bet Blair told you it was a mistake and asked that you forget that it had ever happened."

Chuck looked up from the papers he had occupied himself with. "How did you know that?"

"She has a _boyfriend_. What? You thought she would accept your advances? She might have if she wasn't taken already, but even then..."

"Whatever Archibald," Chuck interrupted him, clearly irritated at the mention of Dan.

"I think you like her man," Nate teased.

Chuck remained silent and refused to acknowledge his best friend.

Nate got up from his seat and headed for the office door. "Denial is always the second stage."

"I think you mean denial is always the _first_ stage Nathaniel," Chuck said, smiling at his clueless partner.

Nate spun around. "Aha! You just admitted to being in denial! How else would you know that denial is the first stage and not the second?"

Chuck shrugged. "Because denial _is_ the first stage. No one I know declares it to be the second stage. Seriously Nate. Why do I even bother? The phrase is supposed to be denial is always the _first_ stage."

"Whatever you say man," Nate continued to mock him as he shut the office door.

* * *

Blair walked into the foyer only to find her mother waiting for her. She had been reliving her kiss with Chuck over and over again and she had tried to distract herself all day. She had attempted to get a hold of Serena all morning to spend some girl time with her, but she was still not answering her phone. She still had to ask her about the blackmail as well. Then, she had occupied herself with her homework the entire afternoon and now it was almost dinner time. Much to her dismay, she was _still_ thinking of the feeling of his lips on hers.

"Blair!" Eleanor greeted her daughter a little too enthusiastically.

"I know that look mother. It means that you made a delicious plan and that everything is falling into place. I should know because I inherited that look from you," she said as-a-matter-a-factly.

"The Humphreys are coming for dinner tonight!" her mother announced.

"Really?" Blair asked, suspicion laced in her voice. "You rarely ever invite the Humphreys over for dinner. What are you planning mother?"

Dorota stared down at the floor and remained silent. Blair knew instantly that something was wrong. Dorota was purposely trying not to look at her.

Eleanor was quick to wave off her suspicions. "Lily and I have some much needed catching up to do. You and Serena are best friends again now anyway. Besides, that Humphrey boy has been your...you know…for awhile."

Blair rolled her eyes. She knew her mother always avoided mentioning Dan as her boyfriend.

"How very mature of you mother."

"The Archibald and Bass families have also been invited," Eleanor added.

Blair held her breath. "What? Why?"

Eleanor walked over to place a hand on her shoulder and Dorota took the opportunity to escape into the kitchen.

"You look slightly pale darling. Are you alright? The more the merrier, right Blair dear? We should thank them for all the hard work they have been doing for our community as of late."

Blair took a deep breath before confronting her mother, throwing her thoughts of Chuck momentarily out the window.

"You better not be attempting to set me up with Nate. I know how much you like him. I know Chuck is probably only a cover up. Did you have to invite the Humphreys then? You just want to make Dan feel awkward," Blair protested.

"Those were _not_ my intentions at all dear," Eleanor responded.

She was technically telling the truth. Her real plan was to set her daughter up with Chuck and Nate was the true cover up. Sure, she wanted to make the Humphrey boy feel awkward, but she was mostly telling the truth.

"I need to see how Dorota is holding up in the kitchen now, so please excuse me."

"Wait! Did the Archibald family and Bass family both accept your invitation?"

"All of them will be here. I called them personally about an hour or two ago except Nate will be representing the Archibald family tonight. Mr. and Mrs. Archibald are out of town for the week. I have a dress laid out for you in your room. You need to look good for...our guests. Dinner will start in about an hour," she finished before heading towards the kitchen.

Blair groaned. Not thinking about Chuck was going to be _a lot_ harder than she had ever imagined.


	14. Dinner Rush

**A/N:** I apologize for the delay. I have been lacking inspiration for this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter and reviews are highly appreciated as always. The case is hardly mentioned in this chapter, but rest assured the suspense and drama will return in the next one.

**Dinner Rush**

* * *

"Could you please pass the peas Charles?" Eleanor asked, although the peas were evidently right in front of her.

Chuck threw a confused look over at Nate who was seated diagonally across from him at the other end of the table. Blair was to his left and Eleanor was to his right. It was beyond him why he was seated there, although Blair had finally figured out what her mother was up to. She never thought she would see the day where Eleanor Waldorf would try to pair her off with Chuck Bass.

"Thank you Charles," her mother beamed as he passed her the peas.

Blair rolled her eyes in response and Dan coughed uncomfortably. He knew Eleanor Waldorf had never truly approved of him, but he really wanted to impress her. This dinner had been the golden opportunity to show her exactly how much he cared for her daughter and Eleanor was busy trying to pair her off with Chuck Bass.

"Aaron," Eric started in an attempt to engage someone in conversation. "I went by the gallery the other day with a friend of mine and I have to say you are quite the photographer."

"Thank you," Aaron replied, ecstatic that someone was appreciating his work.

"Do you prefer working with buildings or people?" Eric asked.

"I would have to say people for sure. Actually, one of my most well received collections is a series I did on Serena."

Nate chocked on his drink. "That must have been quite a series then."

Serena rested her hand on his knee to reassure him that he had nothing to worry about as she sent a warning glance in Aaron's direction. Eric sat uncomfortably between the two. He wished he had never brought the subject up.

"It really was," Aaron responded, unfazed by the death look that his ex-girlfriend was currently giving him. "In fact, there are a few galleries overseas that are looking to showcase that very collection."

"Blair! I love that dress you're wearing," Serena commented, hoping to change the conversation. "Is it an Eleanor Waldorf original?"

Blair smirked at the expression of desperation on her best friend's face, but she saved her from her discomfort anyway.

"Thanks," Blair stated. "And yes it is."

"I'm thrilled you girls appreciate my designs, but Jenny actually lent a hand with this one."

Jenny smiled gratefully at the recognition.

"You have a lot of talent going for you Jenny," Nate interjected, causing Jenny to blush.

"Thank you," she murmured, thanking the heavens in silence that she had been seated directly across from him.

Serena tightened her hold on Nate's knee. She had heard rumors circling around awhile ago that Jenny was in love with Nate. They had only been rumors, but she still couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with the situation.

"So," Eleanor started, interrupting her thoughts. "How is that investigation going Charles? I hope you find the murderer soon. We have all been so completely shaken by Peter's death."

Blair stifled a laugh as Dan turned to rectify her mother's mistake.

"Actually, his name was Pete. Pete Fairmont. Not Peter," Dan corrected her.

Eleanor turned to look at him briefly, a blank look upon her face.

"That's what I said," she countered.

"I must have heard wrong. My apologies," Dan muttered, although he was sure he had heard her correctly.

Blair turned to look at her boyfriend and gave him an encouraging smile. Dan returned her smile, but then continued to stare down at his food. It made her slightly angry that her mother was paying no attention to Dan, although it wasn't exactly anything new. She just wished her mother would give him a chance and get to know him like she did. Blair knew that what she had felt in that kiss with Chuck had been nothing more than a fluke. The boy before her loved her with everything he had and she knew he was the one for her. Chuck Bass was simply a distraction; a temptation.

"Yes, Pete's death was quite tragic, but we're working on it. Nate and I have a good handle on things. Actually, your daughter..." he trailed off as Blair dug her heel into his left foot.

Her mother would kill her if she found out that she was purposely involving herself in a homicide case. She sent Chuck a warning glance and he winced in pain before finishing off his sentence.

"...was distraught over his death as well. I'm glad to see that she's feeling better."

"I am," Blair assured him.

"Charles, you are such a gentlemen. Your parents would have been so proud and to think that you've managed to become a detective at such a young age!" Eleanor complimented him.

Rufus frowned at her comments. He knew she was trying to pair her daughter off with Chuck Bass, but the way she was ignoring his son was unforgivable. His son loved Blair and despite his dislike for the girl, he had to admit that she had been good for him. She hadn't broken his heart ever – not once. Just as he was about to speak up on behalf of his son, Lily took his hand in hers and gave it a light squeeze. Rufus sighed and refrained from causing a scene, although he vowed to tell Eleanor exactly what he felt about her one of these days.

"All that training and hard work builds a lot of character I'm sure," Eleanor continued.

"It does," Chuck agreed. "I considered college at one point in time, but I realized it really wasn't for me."

"Well, college isn't for everyone," Eleanor replied confidently.

Blair gaped at her mother's response. Her mother had always been adamant about higher education and here she was bending the rules for Chuck Bass! Surely Eleanor Waldorf had gone off the deep end.

Serena could tell that it was her turn to save her best friend. Blair had a mixture of shock and discomfort on her face and she felt bad for Dan as well who looked downright miserable.

"Rufus, I just wanted to thank you for letting me into your English class on such short notice," Serena began, turning to look at her step-father.

Rufus caught on to what Serena was trying to do and truth be told, he was thankful for it.

"It was my pleasure Serena. However, I hope there won't be any disruptions on your part," he warned her.

"Of course not," Serena assured him. "Besides, the cold war between Blair and I is finally over."

"It was more like World War III," Dan said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Blair turned to glare at her boyfriend and he apologized immediately.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Foot in mouth disease."

Blair giggled and gave him a light kiss, accepting his apology. Serena smiled at the two and Chuck rolled his eyes in disgust, although no one noticed but Eric.

"I've started reading Pride and Prejudice," Serena continued. "I have to say I'm really enjoying it. In fact, I tried out for a role in the school play."

"I had no idea the drama department was doing it for a play this year. This is great! Perhaps, we could make it a point to watch the play as part of the curriculum," Rufus suggested.

"That sounds great," Blair added. "Actually, Dan and I tried out for the play as well."

"Delightful darling," Eleanor told her, although she was slightly annoyed that they had gotten off topic and by topic she meant Detective Bass.

"So Charles, does a promising young man like yourself have...a girlfriend?"

Eric chocked on his drink and began to cough uncontrollably. Chuck smirked at his younger brother's reaction as Serena patted him on the back to soothe him.

"Not at the moment, but I do have someone in mind."

Eleanor frowned at his response, but Lily was more than delighted at the news.

"Who's the lucky girl?" Lily questioned. "Young love is always so inspiring. When Rufus and I..."

"Mom!" Serena shouted, horrified that her mother had almost been prepared to share the stories of her past with the entire dinner table.

"So," Nate asked curiously. "Who _is_ this mystery girl?"

Nate found it odd that Chuck had resorted to making someone up. He was probably trying to make Blair jealous. Nate shook his head at his best friend's behaviour. It was always about the game with him.

"Claire," Chuck responded.

Nate spit out his drink upon hearing her name. Couldn't he have been more original? Just thinking about Claire Waters was enough to make him gag.

"Are you alright Nate?" Jenny asked in concern as she handed him a napkin.

Serena took it from the younger girl's hand. "I've got it. Thanks."

Jenny pasted a fake smile on her face and continued to poke at her food.

"Claire?" Eleanor questioned.

"Yes, Claire…Waldass," Chuck confirmed as Nate breathed a sigh of relief when he realized exactly what game Chuck was playing at. "She comes from a prominent family and she's quite...charming. You might know her. She's a brunette, but what really hooked me in were her eyes."

Lily beamed at his confession and she smiled lovingly at Rufus who returned her smile. He had said the same thing to her when they were young. He had been entranced by her eyes.

"She's awfully stubborn though," Chuck continued. "We kissed just this once and she told me to forget it had ever happened."

Lily shook her head sympathetically as everyone tried to recall having met a person named Claire Waldass, but inevitably drew a blank. Only Nate, Eric and Blair knew _exactly_ what was going on.

"Oh right! I remember Claire now," Nate began. "Too bad she has a _boyfriend_."

It was Dan's turn to speak up. "You kissed someone else's _girlfriend_?"

"Well, I'm sure there are many other suitable girls out there for someone such as yourself," Eleanor spoke up at the same time.

"You flatter me," Chuck said, returning her smile and purposely avoiding Dan's question.

Blair rolled her eyes, cursing him in silence over his reminder of their kiss.

"You kissed someone else's _girlfriend_?" Dan repeated.

Chuck turned to look at him. "Yes. Did you not get it the first time? It just sort of happened."

"Completely understandable," Eleanor and Lily chimed in unison.

"But," Blair interrupted. "I'm sure Claire feels guilty for what she did. We all make mistakes and honestly Detective Bass, you should have known better. Claire is very much in love with her boyfriend I'm sure."

"If I were her boyfriend, I wouldn't forgive her, especially since it sounds like she doesn't plan on telling her boyfriend what had happened anytime soon," Dan stated, causing Blair to shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"Is there a reason why we're talking about this over the dinner table?" Jenny voiced. "I mean, I don't mean to be rude, but this stuff is a little too personal, don't you think?"

She had no clear idea of what was going on, but she could tell that something was definitely going on between Chuck and Blair. There was something awfully weird about his ramblings on Claire Waldass. The look Eric gave her only confirmed her suspicions. Whatever was going on she was going to find out all the gory details and from Eric no less. If there was any chance that her brother would be hurt in the process, she would do everything and anything to protect him.

"Jenny is quite right. More wine?" Chuck offered Eleanor.

"Yes please," she replied.

"I'll get it," Dan interfered as he reached for the wine bottle and uncorked it.

Chuck reached for the bottle at the same time, but tipped it over instead, eliciting a scream from Blair. There was red wine all over her dress. Dan began to shout out apologies as Eleanor made a snide remark regarding his clumsiness. Chuck merely sat back and smirked at the scene before him. Eric and Nate both shook their heads at him in disapproval.

The incident had only served to fuel Jenny's suspicions and Aaron was the only one not paying attention to what had just transpired. He was too busy staring at Serena to notice anything.

"I'm fine everyone!" Blair raised her voice to get their attention. "I'm just going to head off to the washroom and clean myself up."

"I seem to have gotten a splash of wine on my shirt, so I would like to excuse myself as well," Chuck added.

Dan was still too embarrassed over what had happened to pay heed to their departing words, but Jenny sent Blair a warning glance, although the brunette failed to receive the message.

* * *

"Are you trying to ruin everything?" Blair accused him once they were in the bathroom. "Just forget it ever happened detective. You felt nothing. I felt nothing. I am very much in love with my boyfriend. We have clearly established all of this."

Chuck did not respond and his lips were on hers in a matter of seconds. Blair struggled to escape from his grasp and finally resorted to digging her heel into his foot once more. He yelped in pain and backed away from her, his eyes glazed over with slight fury.

"You need to stop doing that," he warned her as he grimaced in pain.

"Stop doing what?" she asked innocently.

It didn't take long for his lips to find hers again except this time, she did not pull away. Her body had taken over her mind, having conveniently thrown rationality out the window. Chuck trailed a string of kisses down to the nape of her neck and a moan escaped from her lips. He slid a strap of her dress off of her shoulder and placed a gentle kiss there as well. Unfortunately for him, that's when she came back to her senses.

"Stop," Blair protested.

Chuck pulled back abruptly. "What? We're inevitable Waldorf."

Blair readjusted the strap of her dress before offering him a response.

"I'm sorry, but I've never...I mean, I have a boyfriend. This can't be happening. It shouldn't be happening. I'm sorry if I led you on, but this has to stop," she persisted. "I'm going to return before anyone gets suspicious. The wine stain isn't going to come out anyway."

And with that, she left him standing there with only his thoughts to accompany him.

* * *

"So Serena, which role did you try out for in Pride and Prejudice?" Aaron asked the moment Chuck and Blair had left the table.

"Jane Bennett. I really hope I get the part. She's my favorite character."

"I'm surprised Serena," Rufus interrupted. "Most readers favor Elizabeth's character. I look forward to hearing your thoughts in our class discussion on Monday."

"Oh me too," Serena assured him.

"My favorite character is Mr. Bingley," Nate shared.

"Mine too," Jenny echoed.

Serena smiled. "Actually, once I get the part, Nate has even offered to run lines with me."

Lily beamed upon hearing this. She was thrilled by the idea that her daughter was dating a detective and Detective Archibald at that.

"I could help you run lines as well," Aaron offered.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks," Serena responded politely.

"Which roles did you and Blair try out for Dan?" Eric asked, relieving the tension.

"Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy of course," Blair informed him as she returned to the table.

"Did you manage to get the stain out?" Dan asked, his voice still laced with a sincere apology.

Blair kissed him on the cheek. "Obviously not, but don't worry about it. Dorota will work her magic later."

Dan nodded. "It would be great if Blair and I got the parts."

"Well, I'm sure they'd let you play Mr. Collins instead if you failed to land the role. I'm sure Mr. Collins would suit you as well if not better," Eleanor suggested.

"With all due respect Eleanor," Rufus spoke up. "I think my son would play Mr. Darcy very well."

"Well of course," Eleanor replied, waving off the disdain in his voice. "I for one find myself drawn to the character of Mrs. Bennett."

"What a surprise," Dan murmured, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Well, I happen to like Mr. Bennett," Cyrus announced.

It was the first time he had spoken throughout the entire dinner and everyone turned their attention towards him.

"Mr. Bennett only wants his daughters to be happy," he explained. "Unlike Mrs. Bennett who wants to pair her daughters off with prominent men, Mr. Bennett wants them to find love. I for one think Mr. Collins would have been a fine match for Elizabeth as long as she had loved him too."

Cyrus purposely looked at Dan upon finishing his thoughts and Dan smiled appreciatively at his attempt at support.

"What's taking Chuck so long?" Eric wondered out loud.

"He's probably still trying to get the stain out himself. He's even more stubborn than Blair evidently," Nate offered.

"Not to mention the fact that wine stains are hard to get out," Serena added. "I should know."

Nate laughed and kissed her on the forehead, causing Jenny's eyes to flash with jealousy.

"So, what did I miss?" Chuck asked as he returned to the table.

"Still didn't get that wine stain out, did you?" Nate teased.

Chuck shook his head. Truthfully, he hadn't even tried to get it out. He had merely stood frozen in the same spot that Blair had left him contemplating about how people like Dan Humphrey had possibly managed to land a girl as amazing as Blair Waldorf.

"We were chatting more about Pride and Prejudice, but can we change the topic please?" Jenny begged.

"I would have to agree," Chuck responded. "I've never even read that book."

"Not that you would appreciate it," Blair mentioned casually.

Chuck remained silent and once again the air was filled with tension.

"Dessert anyone?" Dorota interrupted as she came bearing a plate of delicious delights.

There was a chorus of relieved yeses as Dorota began to pass out the desserts. Chuck and Blair remained unresponsive and continued to stare at one another. No one noticed the intensity of their gaze except for Eric of course and when Chuck casually rested his hand on her right knee, Blair let him keep it there for just a moment before swatting it away, once again engaging herself in the current conversation of the dinner table.


	15. Cheating The Public

**A/N:** I apologize for the delay. I had a test I needed to study for. Summer school is time consuming.

**Arttm:** I do. However, we will assume that their high school diplomas and their family connections were sufficient for the purposes of the story.

**Cheating The Public**

* * *

"That end of the weekend dinner was awkward to say the least," Blair commented as she took a seat beside Serena on the bench.

"Yale is our haven," Serena agreed.

Serena continued to stare into the distance and the brunette could tell that something was wrong.

"You want to talk about it?" Blair asked, concerned for her best friend.

Serena turned towards her and smiled, wisps of blond hair falling from her shoulders.

"I see you still haven't lost your touch when it comes to reading my mind," Serena teased.

"Never," Blair responded, returning her smile.

The blond let out a deep sigh before voicing her concerns.

"I could be reading into this, but do you think Jenny has her heart set on Nate?" she questioned, uncertainty marking her eyes.

Blair touched her lightly on the shoulder. "Well, Jenny _did_ confess her love for Nate to me back in high school. She was inebriated at the time though, so who knows if she was telling the truth?"

"Not that it wasn't obvious," Serena interjected.

Blair offered her a tiny smile. "Yeah, it was pretty obvious, but it was also obvious that Nate only had eyes for you. Speaking of which, since when were you and Nate dating?"

A healthy pink rose to her cheeks before she answered.

"It actually just sort of happened," she stuttered. "Do you know what I mean? It's kind of hard to explain."

Blair thought back immediately to her encounter in the bathroom with Chuck last night. The feel of his lips against her skin was still freshly imprinted in her mind. She had no idea _how_ she had let it happened. It just sort of did.

"More than you'll ever know," Blair replied.

Serena gave her a quizzical look. Just as the blond was going to ask her to expand on that statement, Blair continued to speak.

"Anyway, I wouldn't worry about Jenny. Just ignore her advances on Nate. As long as you know he likes you, it shouldn't matter. Just go easy on her S. Jenny is going through a rough time."

"What do you mean?" Serena inquired.

"You can't tell anyone about this," Blair warned before continuing. "Jenny was the love of Pete's life. She didn't love him back, but they were very close on an emotional level. His death has really shaken her."

Serena nodded her head in understanding, although she was shocked at the news. It made sense now though why Pete had been so worked up at the mention of Jenny that night.

"_There is no way I'm having sex with you," Serena stated. "How did you even manage to obtain the footage?"_

_Pete rolled his eyes in response. "You'll never know and you were practically having an orgy in this video. One night with me won't kill you darling."_

"_I'm not that person anymore Pete. Please just give me the tape," she pleaded with him._

_She was desperate. She needed to get that tape back. It wasn't even about the documented sex. It was what had happened after._

"_One night Serena," he urged. "I could hand the tape over to the authorities instead of course. You and Robert can write to me from jail."_

"_Damn it Pete! How will I know you'll even give me the tape after I screw you?"_

_Pete smirked. "You don't."_

"_You sick bastard!" Serena shouted. "Do you get some disgusting pleasure out of blackmailing people? Who's next on your list? Jenny?"_

"_Shut up you slut! I would never blackmail Jenny!" he yelled._

_They were both silent for a moment before Serena spoke up._

"_Why not Jenny?" she pried._

"_None of your business," he spat. "I'll give you your precious tape once were done. Now, are we doing this or not?"_

_Serena sighed in defeat. "You better be taking a shower first."_

_Pete grinned, an evil glint in his eye. Victory was sweet._

"Serena! Are you even listening to me?" Blair asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"What?" the blond responded, whirling around to face her. "Yeah, I'll just ignore her advances on Nate."

Blair rolled her eyes. "I was talking about my mother. I have no idea what to do with her! She was obviously trying to set me up with Chuck last night and the worst part is that she was doing it in front of _Dan_!"

Serena giggled. "Oh B! Your mother has always been trying to set you up with someone. Just shrug it off. Who cares what your mother thinks of Dan or who she tries to set you up with as long as you and Dan love one another?"

"True," Blair agreed. "It's just so annoying, you know?"

The blond nodded sympathetically. "What was up with you and Chuck anyway? Don't lie to me B. The looks you gave each other at the dinner table? That convenient trip to the bathroom?"

"What?" Blair asked in shock. "There is absolutely _nothing_ going on between us! I would never _ever_ cheat on Dan. You _know_ that!"

Her tone of voice had been so convincing that Blair was even led to believe that nothing had happened between her and Chuck last night. The rapid beating of her heart in response to Serena's accusation, however, was evidence of the contrary. It had happened. Those kisses had been real.

"I'm just teasing you B," Serena explained. "I know you'd never cheat on Dan."

Blair had to look away then, her guilt slowly clouding her mind. Maybe she _should_ confess to Dan about what had happened last night and the night before that. It would make her feel better about herself, but then again, it seemed unnecessary to break his heart. Ignorance was bliss, right? This would be her dirty little secret and it would be her _only_ one. She would never be tempted by all that was Chuck Bass ever again. Suddenly, Blair remembered her purpose for finding Serena before class this morning.

"Serena, I know this is a random question, but was Pete blackmailing you?" she inquired.

"What are you talking about B?" she asked defensively.

"Oh! I just heard a rumor is all," Blair said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"Well, it isn't true," Serena responded as-a-matter-of-factly, her body tense and rigid.

The scowl set upon her best friend's face made it clear that the subject needed to be dropped and fast. In fact, Blair decided it was best to leave. She could find out the details of the blackmail some other way.

"Of course!" Blair assured her.

The blond relaxed at her response, playing with a strand of her golden hair.

"We actually have to meet up with Dan before class. He always walks me to English," the brunette informed her.

"I know," Serena murmured. "I'll see you in class though. I need to make a phone call."

Blair shrugged and picked up her purse from its place beside her, although she was suspicious as to whom Serena would need to call this early in the morning.

"I'll see you later S."

"Later B," the blond responded, waving her off.

She flipped open her cell phone the moment Blair had walked off. She should still have Robert in her contacts list somewhere. She scrolled further down the screen until she spotted his name. Bingo!

* * *

"You are never going to be able to please Eleanor Waldorf Dan," Vanessa told him.

Dan rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I know, but I love her daughter. Is that not enough? Why does she always have to try to set Blair up with someone else?"

Vanessa patted his arm sympathetically. "People like us will never truly fit into their world Dan."

"This is supposed to be a pep talk," Dan whined.

Vanessa laughed. "Love is between two people Dan. Who cares what her mother thinks of you? You are going to marry _Blair Waldorf_ not her mother assuming she accepts your proposal of course."

She had chocked slightly on the word marry and she really hoped Dan hadn't caught the hitch in her voice. She needed to be there for him as the best friend. Now that Dan had mentioned his intentions of proposing to Blair, she knew he was serious about her. When they had only been dating, she still stood a chance. She still had hope that one day Dan would wake up and realize that _she_ was a much better fit for him. If Blair accepted his proposal, even _that_ tiny glimmer of hope would shimmer away. Dan had always vowed that he would only propose to someone if he was absolutely sure she was his one true love. He would do it right the first time. Divorce was not an option.

"I hope she will," Dan whispered uncertainly.

"How do you plan to pop the big question to her exactly?" Vanessa mentioned out of curiosity.

A smile escaped from his lips as he informed her of the anniversary he had been planning for months.

"You know that burlesque club that Pete got your dad to invest in?"

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "You mean Victrola? You're not seriously proposing to her there, are you?"

"Not exactly," Dan said, getting excited over the details of his plan. "I booked the roof."

"The roof?" Vanessa inquired. "That sounds...romantic."

Dan laughed. "Just listen to the entire plan. First, I plan to cook dinner for her. It'll be a candlelit dinner of course because I know how much she loves those."

Vanessa nodded her head slightly, motioning for him to continue.

"Then, I'll take her to Victrola. She'll be blindfolded and I'll bring her up to the roof," Dan informed her. "The roof will be decorated of course with even more candles, rose petals, and such. There will be music and we'll dance. Then we'll probably look at the stars together and that's when she'll ask me where her anniversary present is. I'll pop the question then. What do you think?"

Vanessa remained silent and dwelled in the beautiful picture that he had painted with his words. Blair Waldorf would be crazy not to accept his proposal. It was all so romantic and even she knew this was the kind of fairytale ending that Blair had always dreamed of. She was going to have it all. She would get her happily ever after and her prince charming all in one night. Vanessa couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy course through her body then.

"Vanessa?" Dan murmured nervously. "My plan can't be _that_ bad."

"What? No! It sounds great Dan! She'll be swept off her feet with that plan of yours. Trust me," Vanessa assured him.

"If you're sweeping a girl off her feet Humphrey, it better be me," Blair interrupted as she approached the two.

Vanessa whipped her head around to see Blair Waldorf standing behind her.

"Well, that's my cue to leave," Vanessa commented as she grabbed her purse.

"You can stay Vanessa," Blair offered, smiling sweetly in her direction.

Truthfully, Blair didn't mind if Vanessa hung around her and Dan for a while. She knew she was probably going through an even tougher time than Jenny was. Besides, having Vanessa close by all the time could give her more opportunities to question her not that she could really picture her killing her own brother. Then again, she'd never thought Serena was capable of killing anyone either and yet her best friend had been acting so shady at the mention of Pete blackmailing her that Blair had to question if she really knew Serena after all.

"Thanks, but my class is about to start anyway. I'll see you later Dan."

Dan waved her off as Blair took a seat next to him at the table.

"Remember to talk to you father! You promised!" Dan shouted after her.

Vanessa waved in his direction to let him know she would.

"Talk to her father? What about?" Blair inquired.

Dan shrugged. "Vanessa and I have been snooping around Bart's office."

"Snooping around?" Blair echoed, giggling at the idea.

Dan scowled. "There's a first time for everything Blair. Anyway, we found out that Pete committed stock fraud and Bart is now trying to cover up for his crime."

"What?"

"I know. It shocked us too. Vanessa is going to confront her father about everything tonight. In fact, I think she's going to straight out ask Bart if he killed Pete out of spite or something, you know? We found out that Jenny was apparently very close with Pete as well. I'm still in shock over that."

Blair nodded, but had already zoned out. Bart had always been a suspect to her, but alleged stock fraud definitely made things slightly more interesting.

"I know that look Blair. I know you're digging into the case, but..."

"I won't bother Vanessa or Bart if that's what you're worried about," Blair promised. "I know she's your best friend and I found out about Jenny and Pete already from Eric and a friend of his. They were just super close on an emotional level. You have nothing to worry about."

"Thanks Blair."

She would keep her promise. She wouldn't question Vanessa or Bart, but that didn't mean she couldn't get someone _else_ to do it for her. Robert was proving himself to be more than useful since their break-up.

"For the record," Dan teased, interrupting her thoughts. "You're the girl I plan to sweep off her feet."

"You already have," Blair responded. "You two were talking about our anniversary plans, weren't you?"

Dan chuckled. "Nothing gets by you Miss Waldorf. I'm not telling you anything though, so you'll just have to be patient."

Blair pouted. "You'll find I can be very convincing Mr. Humphrey."

"Not this time Blair. This anniversary is going to be extra special," Dan insisted.

Blair sighed. "You win. I'll wait."

There was a brief pause and Blair took the opportunity to change the subject.

"Did you get the part of Mr. Darcy? I got an email this morning from the drama coach. I get to portray Elizabeth Bennett!"

Dan frowned. "No, I didn't get the part. I'm playing...Mr. Collins."

"Oh," Blair started. "Well, maybe..."

"That's ok Blair. We'll still have rehearsals together at least," he explained, offering her a smile.

"Alright," Blair agreed, knowing Dan didn't want to push the subject any further.

She blamed her mother and her stupid commentary regarding Mr. Collins from last night for his insecurities.

"Walk me to class?" Blair asked, getting up from her seat at the table.

"Of course," he answered as he took her hand in his and guided her down the hallway.

* * *

"Hello?" Robert inquired from the other end of the line.

"Robert," Serena greeted him.

"Serena? I think you have the wrong number."

"Blair knows," she stated simply.

"She knows a lot of things," Robert retorted. "You'll have to be more specific."

"I think she knows what happened that night and the fact that Pete has been blackmailing me," the blond clarified.

"Calm down," Robert urged. "Did she tell you she knows or are you just assuming that she does?"

"Well, she just asked me if Pete had been blackmailing me. She claims she heard about it through a rumor, but I bet..."

"I think you can relax. Blair came to me recently asking for help in acquiring a suspect list for Pete's murder," he explained. "We graced upon the subject of his blackmailing activities, but I only told her about Pete blackmailing Lily and Rufus. I swear I didn't mention you or me obviously. She must have caught sight of your name on the list when I wasn't looking."

"So, you don't think she knows the details of the blackmail then?"

"Absolutely not," he assured her. "Think about it S. If she knew, she would have definitely confronted you about it immediately. The poolside orgy could have been overlooked, but we killed someone Serena. Last time I checked that was still a crime."

"I didn't kill him. _You_ did! You're the one who drowned him!" Serena hissed.

"It was meant to be a joke. Who knew that kid's lung capacity was so shallow? Besides, it was just as much everyone else who was there including you as it was me. I remember all of you cheering me on. At one point, you lent a hand."

"I was drunk out of my mind," Serena protested.

"Tell that to the authorities," he drawled sarcastically. "Just chill out Serena. Blair doesn't know anything about what happened that night. _No one_ ever has to know and now that Pete is out of the picture, that's easier said than done. I've kept tabs on all the other people who were at our secret gathering. They've all kept their mouths shut."

"The only problem is..." Serena trailed off at the sound of a female voice.

"_You promised you'd go shopping with me today," a squeaky voice whined._

"Claire, I'm on the phone with someone," Robert responded.

"_Someone more important than your fiancée?" she shot back. "I'll tell daddy you're not treating me right if you don't get off the phone this instant!"_

"Look Serena," Robert finished quickly. "Don't worry too much about it. You're freaking yourself out. I'll talk to you later. Apparently Claire Waters is too precious to wait a couple of minutes."

He hung up then and Serena could only do the same. She needed to get that tape back. It was probably somewhere inside his house, but she wouldn't be able to find an excuse to look in his room or even gain access to his house for that matter. Nate had mentioned that he and Chuck would be dropping by the house soon to question Bart and Vanessa. Perhaps she could convince Nate to help her look for the tape. Serena smiled at her brilliance. Nate would come in handy after all.

* * *

"I'll see you at the play rehearsal alright?" Dan confirmed. "We can grab a bite to eat later if you'd like."

Blair smiled and was about to respond when her cell phone alerted her of an incoming call.

"Hello?" Blair spoke into her phone.

"Miss Waldorf," Chuck greeted her.

"Hello mother," Blair responded.

She really didn't want to make things between her and Dan tenser than they already were this morning. Dan would probably question why Chuck was calling her and they would surely get into an argument over it.

"Humphrey must be nearby if you're insistent upon calling me your mother," Chuck drawled. "My limo will be conveniently situated in front of your lecture hall Miss Waldorf when you walk out of English this morning. I'll see you later and I won't take no for an answer. I know where you live Miss Waldorf. Remember that."

With that, he hung up on her, leaving Blair nothing less than furious. Who did he think he was ordering her around like that? There was something in the way he had said I know where you live Miss Waldorf that left her cheeks burning though and she hated him for it.

"Bye," Blair said smoothly into her phone before hanging up.

"Uh...Blair? Is everything alright?" Dan spoke up, putting a stop to any of the fantasies that were about to invade her mind.

"Sure Dan. We can eat the play rehearsal later," she murmured before walking through the double doors.

Dan scratched his forehead in confusion. _We can eat the play rehearsal later? What the hell did that mean?_


	16. Alone Together

**A/N:** Please bear with me as this is somewhat of a filler chapter. I hope you enjoy it and reviews are loved as always. Thank you for all of your amazing feedback thus far.

**Alone Together**

* * *

"Miss Waldorf," Chuck greeted her the moment she stepped inside the limo.

"Skip the pleasantries," Blair seethed as she took a seat next to him. "What do you want?"

Chuck smirked in amusement at her evident irritation with him.

"You," he answered simply.

Blair found herself blushing at his reply to her question and slid herself closer towards the door.

"What?" she stuttered.

Chuck laughed. "What I meant was that I want you to work with me on the case."

"Of course you did," Blair quickly shot back.

"Unless wanting you is also a viable option," he continued.

"Absolutely not. Why should I work with you detective? I thought you and Nate had the case under control?"

She crossed her arms in defiance and turned to look out the window.

"Nate has some other cases he's been investigating, so I've been working on this particular case on my own for the most part," he informed her.

She turned her head to face him again, her features emotionless.

"Or are you afraid you'd lose to me if we were to work on this alone? You're afraid I'll solve this case before you do detective," she challenged him. "For some odd reason, I always seem to be one step ahead of..."

Chuck cut her off and kissed her hard on the lips then. She pounded her fists against his chest in an attempt to pull away until she heard an unmistakable moan escape from her own lips. What was it about his touch that made her lose all control? She threaded her hands through his hair, trying to deepen the kiss just as he pulled away. Blair peered at him with questioning eyes only to darken them when she witnessed his smirk, a visible lipstick smear on the corner of his mouth.

"Is that a yes Miss Waldorf?" he teased.

Blair huffed and made an attempt to fix her slightly tousled hair.

"Do you promise to stop pulling stupid stunts like you did just now?" she questioned.

He leaned in close to her ear as she shivered in anticipation.

"Admit it," he whispered. "You enjoyed every second of that. I wonder what Humphrey would say if he knew about our encounters."

"I hate you," Blair hissed.

He chuckled at her sentiment. Then he reminded himself of his initial purpose for having her speak with him in his limo. He wanted to seduce her and to make her his, but at the same time, he needed her help with the case even more. Nate was hardly pulling his weight and Daryl was simply too green to be trusted with anything more than what he was already doing.

Blair was far from qualified to help him of course. In fact, she wasn't qualified at all, but he had to admit that the brunette was good at what she did; at playing detective. It was her keen sense of determination and born curiosity that led her to succeed and he knew this because they were qualities that he eventually discovered in himself; that his father had always been proud of.

"I apologize for my indiscretions Miss Waldorf, but I think working together will benefit the case. This competition of who finds the murderer or murderers first doesn't do us both any good. We're looking at the same clues; following the same leads," he explained.

"And if we work together," Blair continued for him. "We could probably crack this case wide open twice as fast."

"Exactly," he agreed. "So, what do you say? I promise to keep my hands to myself. It's hard though when I'm in the presence of such a beautiful woman."

"You're buttering me up," Blair scoffed, although she was flattered by his words.

"I am," Chuck relented.

It was probably for the best if she thought he was simply complimenting her to get her on board with being his partner, but he really _did_ think she was beautiful. In fact, he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Humphrey was one lucky son of a bitch. Some guys just had all the luck.

"Alright," Blair conceded after a moment of pondering. "I'll work with you, but let's keep this professional Detective Bass."

"You can call me Chuck you know," he started. "We're partners now and you have my word. We'll keep this professional."

"Good," she responded. "And you can call me Blair. Miss Waldorf is awfully formal."

Chuck nodded. "Alright Blair. Shall we go over some of the details of the case and then decide what to do from there?"

"Sure, but I have another class in about half an hour," she reminded him.

"Who are the major suspects you have pinned down for the case?" he asked her. "I need to know who you've been following up on."

"Well," she began. "I know Pete was blackmailing Lily and Rufus. I don't know with what, but I do know that they paid him off. That's why I haven't exactly been following up on that lead. Why kill the guy if you've already paid him to keep his mouth shut, right?"

"They're low priority on our suspect list then, but we should still pry into the details of that transaction. _What_ he was blackmailing them with is still of immense interest to us. Where did you dig up all of this information anyhow?"

Blair grinned. "I have my sources and you have yours."

"Alright," Chuck sighed, waving off her aura of mystery. "Who else?"

"Serena," she stated, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"You don't want to believe she could have killed Pete, right?"

Blair nodded at his accurate assumption.

"Sometimes it's the people closest to you that you need to watch out for," he warned her. "You have no idea how many cases I've dealt with where the perpetrator was a relative or a close friend. Actually, speaking of Serena, could you take a look at this strand of hair for me? We found it at the crime scene."

He handed her a closed baggie with a strand of golden hair resting on the clear bottom. She sighed and took the bag from his hands, scrutinizing its contents.

She rolled her eyes at him. "There are a lot of blonds on the Upper East Side Chuck."

"I know that, but I'm asking you if there's a possibility it could be Serena's hair. You're best friends, so I thought you would recognize it to some degree and I'd appreciate it if you could get me a sample," he added.

She pressed her lips together in concentration as if she were really thinking the possibility over.

"Yes, I suppose so," she answered, hesitation still laced in her voice. "I can get you that sample to make sure of course."

"Now, Serena has been a suspect to me as well, but I've yet to really work on that angle. The only thing I know right now is that she claims she was at a sleepover at Penelope's house at the time of Pete's death. Apparently, she was too ill to take part in the party, but she was in Penelope's room resting the entire time. Penelope and Hazel have both come forward to attest to this, but it all seems a bit fishy to me. I know you don't want to believe that she could have..."

Blair put up her hand to silence him. It didn't matter to her if he wanted to investigate Serena. If her best friend had truly had no part in Pete's death, then she had nothing to hide. If she _had_ been pushed over the edge enough to kill Pete, well then Blair had no idea how she would react to the news. With these thoughts in mind, she prepared herself to tell Chuck everything she had found out about Serena.

"I found out that she also had some sort of contact with Pete beforehand because he was blackmailing her and a very reliable source told me that Jonathan knew all the juicy details of Pete's work. So, I went to talk to him. That's the day we bumped into each other as I was leaving your house and according to Jonathan, he started blackmailing her the morning of his murder," she revealed. "I mean Jonathan as in your brother's boyfriend by the way."

Blair cursed herself mentally for her nervousness at the mention of that day. It had been their first kiss. She had a right to feel nervous about mentioning that particular encounter, but did she _have_ to explain who Jonathan was? How lame was that? Obviously she was talking about Eric's boyfriend. It was like she had diarrhea of the brain or something whenever she was around him or thinking about him or whatever.

"I'm well aware of who Jonathan is Blair," he drawled sarcastically.

"Just trying to be thorough," she defended herself. "For all I know, you could know loads of Jonathans."

_Damn it!_ Even her cover up attempt was lame!

Chuck decided that now wasn't the time to argue with her because he knew that if they started arguing, he would eventually kiss her to shut her up and he had promised her that he would keep this professional.

"Well, did your mysterious source say whether she had paid him off or not?" he inquired.

"He only told me to talk to Jonathan. My source didn't tell me that Pete had been blackmailing her actually. In fact, I think he was intentionally hiding it from me. I never confronted him about it though," she said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"So, your source could be in on Pete's murder as well if he's trying to keep Serena safe or she may have confessed something to him on a drunken night out on the town and now he's being forced to keep his mouth shut," he reasoned. "Who is he?"

"Robert McKinley," she replied.

"Robert?" he asked in disbelief. "Isn't he set to marry Claire Waters? Now I know why you were at his house the other day."

Blair rolled her eyes. "He's my reliable source. That doesn't mean I sleep with him to get the information I need. Besides, it's not like Claire is so faithful herself. Wasn't she trying to hit on you just a few days ago?"

"Jealous Waldorf?" he mocked her.

"You wish. Are you?" she challenged.

They held each other's gaze, the intensity practically searing their souls. Just as Chuck leaned forward in her direction, she cleared her throat and snapped out of her trance.

"You know what? I actually need to get to class a little earlier today. Why don't I call you up later about the other suspects I have in mind and such?"

Chuck frowned in disappointment, but quickly recovered from this setback.

"Alright," he agreed. "Actually, you can just call Daryl and leave him with your message or whatever. He'll pass it on to me."

"That will be fine," she conceded, taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor. "What can I do in the mean time?"

"Well, I could use your help with Jenny. We found a piece of thread at the crime scene and it happens to be extremely rare. The only designers in the world that use this thread are your mother and Jenny Humphrey."

"Are you investigating my mother then?" Blair wondered.

"No," he assured her. "Your mother has her alibis. Jenny was running a few errands for Eleanor at the time, so she had a few opportunities to go in for the kill. Any of your mother's clients that own a dress with this thread are still suspects as well of course."

"I can question Jenny, but just to let you know Jenny was the love of Pete's life. She..."

"Yes, I got around to questioning Eric, so I know," he told her. "She seems to care about him a lot, but anything is possible. It could all be an act. When you question her, just make sure you're..."

"I don't need you to tell me how to go about this Chuck," she interrupted him. "I'll be discreet in my approach. I'll mention how wonderful the thread is and Jenny will immediately offer me a few designs with that thread."

"Then you could casually ask her about anyone else who has ordered those exact designs including all of your mother's clients of course," he continued for her.

"Exactly," Blair responded. "And Jenny is already a suspect because I personally know that she wears all of her own designs and some of those of my mother's as well."

"You're good."

"Tell me something I don't know," she commented cheekily.

He ignored her statement, although he admired her confidence.

"I'll start working on the Bart Fairmont angle. The only thing I think his daughter is guilty of is obstruction of justice by pretending to be her father's alibi. Nate and I will stop by and question the two of them in their humble abode or maybe just Bart. I'll see what mood I'm in."

"You'll question them both," Blair assured him.

"Why do you say that?" he asked curiously.

"You're clearly in the I'll-bug-as-many-people-as-I-can-today-including-Blair-Waldorf-because-I'm-an-ass mood."

"You wound me," he cried dramatically, his hand on his heart.

Blair swallowed hard then. It wasn't that she found his dramatic reaction extremely adorable. It was that she wanted to tell him everything that Dan had told her earlier this morning, but why should she? Dan probably trusted her not to tell anyone and Vanessa was planning to confront Bart anyway. If he did kill Pete, perhaps he would tell Vanessa and then she would tell Dan. Dan would surely let her know if Bart was the murderer. She would solve the case first for sure and if this lead turned out to be a dead end, Chuck would find out on his own soon enough. Besides, maybe he would discover something new upon questioning them. She decided to keep her mouth shut.

"Well, the plan sounds good. You cover the Fairmonts. I'll contact you when I've got something on the Jenny front."

Her hand was on the door handle and she seemed to hesitate in leaving the vehicle.

"Sure Blair," he answered and she stepped out of the limo then, closing the door behind her.

She walked away slowly as if wanting him to summon her back.

"Blair," he called after her.

She turned around and forced herself not to smile.

"Yes?" she inquired.

"I said I would keep this professional, but after we solve the case, all bets are off."

He winked at her and signaled for the driver to start the vehicle. Blair stood frozen in her place on the walkway and if it wasn't bad enough that her mind had been wandering from her boyfriend ever since she had stepped into that limo, she found herself melting into a puddle of goo upon that Basshole's departure, hoping that his statement would be a promise.

* * *

"What color roses should I get her? How _many_ should I get her? I mean, is there a rulebook for buying a girl flowers when you plan to propose to her?" Dan asked the florist.

Vanessa smiled politely at the woman. "He's nervous."

The blond rolled her eyes. "You don't say?"

Dan laughed awkwardly, forcing the woman to roll her eyes once more.

"I think we can find what you need," the florist assured him. "You have a few sure fire options."

The phone in the store began to ring at that moment and the blond immediately tended to the call.

"How long do you think she'll be?" Dan wondered out loud.

Vanessa shrugged. "The look on her face tells me that that could be one annoying customer."

"Shall we browse a bit then?" he asked, offering her his arm.

"Sure," she responded, lacing her arm through his. "I talked to Bart by the way."

Dan stopped in his tracks. "Really? How did it go?"

"Well, I was really straightforward about my concerns and he did confess that he was trying to cover for Pete's stock fraud scandal, but he promised me he had no hand in killing my brother," she told him.

"That's great!" Dan exclaimed. "Are you sure he was telling the truth though?"

Vanessa nodded. "He wouldn't lie to me about this and I could see it in his eyes. I think he really does miss Pete in some ways, but he's just too stubborn to admit it, you know?"

"Yeah," Dan agreed. "By the way, I wanted to apologize. This morning after you left, I sort of took the liberty to tell Blair about our investigation."

"You _what_? Dan, that was supposed to be between you and me. How could you let it all slip like that?" she cried.

"Sorry," Dan reiterated. "I figured I was proposing to her soon and Blair and I don't really keep secrets from each other."

Vanessa waved off his apology. "It's fine Dan. Forget about it. Just don't tell her anymore than you already have. Promise?"

"Not even..."

"Promise?" she repeated.

"Promise."

It wasn't that Vanessa really minded if Dan told Blair of their findings and whatnot, but she had wanted something to just be between her and Dan. Somehow everything that they shared involved Blair.

"Oh, I also forgot to mention that Chuck and Nate just arrived to question me and my father when I left to come and meet up with you," she informed him.

"What did they ask you?" Dan asked, concern in his tone of voice.

"Chuck asked me if I still insisted that I was with my father that night," she responded.

"What did you say then?" he urged.

"I didn't have to say anything actually," she explained. My father stepped in and told them that I wasn't his alibi. He admitted that he thought it would look bad if he had said he was alone at the time of his death, but he still denied killing Pete. They're still questioning him right now, but they let me go."

"Well," Dan reasoned. "I suppose they can't just take Bart's word for it. I mean the not killing Pete part. Admitting he asked you to pretend to be his alibi doesn't exactly make him shine in a good light if you know what I mean."

Vanessa sighed. "I know and he's still lying to them because he told me he wasn't alone. He was dealing with a few people who are on board with the cover up plan. He hired some people to scare some of the board members into selling those fake stocks back to him."

"Oh wow," Dan commented. "Wow."

"I know, but can we talk about something else please?"

Dan nodded and tried to come up with a new topic of discussion. Truthfully, Bart could still be playing his daughter for a fool. He had used words and those could hardly be considered hard evidence to wash away any doubts that he had killed his own son. Vanessa believed him based on her intuition and Dan was unsure as to whether or not Vanessa was seeing the truth or simply what she wanted to see in the truth.

"How about we go back to the topic of how nervous I am for this proposal?" he questioned.

Vanessa rolled her eyes at him. "Stop being nervous. She is going to be the happiest woman alive when you pop the question."

_And I'll be the most miserable woman alive when you pop the question._

"What is taking the florist so long?" he asked in irritation.

"Patience Dan," she reminded him. "These daisies are beautiful."

She reached out to touch them and Dan smiled.

"Hey," he started. "Remember the first time I gave you a daisy?"

Vanessa laughed and nodded at the reminder.

"We were at the park and I told you how much I liked them," she continued.

"And I went to go pick one for you," he finished.

"Except there was an ant on the stem and it crawled onto your finger. You screamed like a girl, dropped the flower, and ran."

"I did not," Dan huffed as Vanessa's contagious laugh echoed throughout the store.

"That phone call took more time than I imagined," the florist explained upon her return.

"Demanding customer?" Vanessa asked sympathetically.

"You have no idea," the florist answered.

Dan laughed awkwardly again, but stopped the moment the blond gave him a stern look.

"I had a few options laid out for you, but how would you like to order fifty red roses Mr. Humphrey?"

"Please call me Dan and would that be a good choice?"

"Fifty roses tell her that your love for her is limitless and the color red conveys deeps emotions," the florist explained. "It would be perfect for the occasion. Anyhow, I'm sure the flowers will come only second to the ring."

"Because _who_ you're marrying is of no importance," Vanessa mentioned sarcastically.

The florist scoffed. "True love is overrated. Diamonds are a girl's best friend. We women might as well marry rich. The ring says it all. I'll go and place your order then. You can come and pick them up on the day of the proposal."

"Thank you," Dan said before he headed for the door.

The moment they were outside Dan turned towards Vanessa and asked, "Does the ring really matter that much?"

Vanessa gave him a look. "Dan."

"Right. She'll accept my proposal because she loves me," he chanted. "Blair loves me and I love her. Nothing could go..."

He trailed off as Vanessa pulled him into the nearest store. Dan took a look at his surroundings and gasped.

"We're best friends, but I am honestly not comfortable with shopping for lingerie with you," Dan informed her.

"Oh please," Vanessa scoffed. "Look!"

Dan peered out the window to where she was pointing at to find Serena and Nate on the other side of the street in deep conversation.

"He certainly has good taste taking her there. The coffee at that cafe is to die for," Dan commented.

"Details Dan," Vanessa protested. "Did you see the tape he just gave her?"

"I saw it, but what's so important about that tape?" he asked in confusion.

"When Chuck was starting to question my father, Nate told him that he would take a look around Pete's room. I was halfway out the door, but then I noticed that I forgot my purse. When I went upstairs to grab it, I caught of glimpse of Nate pocketing the tape. It seemed personal. Otherwise, wouldn't he have put it into one of those clear evidence bags?"

Dan pondered over this for moment. "I suppose and the tape is yellow for crying out loud. It has to be the same tape that he pocketed. Why would he give it to Serena though?"

"She may have asked him to retrieve it for her. He is her boyfriend now after all," Vanessa stated.

"Pete was probably blackmailing her and she wanted to get whatever he had on her back now that..."

"You're probably right. You don't think she would have..."

"...killed Pete in order to keep whatever secret safe? Serena? Yeah, I don't think so," Dan voiced his opinion, laughing at the very idea.

"I guess. I can't imagine her killing anyone either. Want to get out of here now?"

Dan looked around at all the lace and the bows around him and smiled gratefully at her suggestion. "Yes please."


	17. Basic Instinct

**A/N:** The intrigue continues in this chapter. Who _did_ kill Pete Fairmont? I promise Chuck and Blair will dominate the next chapter. Reviews are always an inspiration. Thank you.

**Basic Instinct**

* * *

Blair walked into the room to find Jenny diligently sketching designs on her stool. She seemed so absorbed into her work that Blair decided it would be best not to disturb her until Jenny noticed her presence on her own. The blond would sketch a few lines, pause as if to examine her work, and then she would either resume her sketching or erase a mistake she had found. After a few minutes, Jenny voluntarily turned around to address her.

"Hey Blair," she greeted her softly. "What are you doing here?"

Blair smiled at the blond before answering her reasonable question.

"I have a friend who bought this gorgeous dress the other day and the thread used to accent the piece was absolutely exquisite. I heard I could find it here," Blair explained smoothly.

"Let me have a look at it," Jenny offered.

Blair carefully reached into her purse for the thread in question. She was careful to note the expression on her face as Jenny received it. Surely there would be some sort of unease or panic written upon her face if the thread had indeed been torn off of her own dress around the time she had been committing a murder. Blair witnessed no such emotions and breathed a sigh of relief. She merely saw recognition and acknowledgment of the familiarity of the thread etching her features.

"You have _amazing_ taste Blair," Jenny responded. "Eleanor and I are the _only_ designers in the world who incorporate this thread into our designs. It is _very_ rare and most designers prefer to find more affordable alternatives. Just give me a moment and I can show you all the designs we have with this thread or did you specifically want the dress your friend bought?"

Blair paused for a moment to ponder over how she should go about this. She had promised Chuck she would be discreet with her investigative methods.

"I came to purchase the dress my friend was wearing, but I suppose I could have a look at _all_ of the designs," Blair answered. "Thanks for the suggestion."

Jenny nodded briefly and proceeded to leave the room. She glanced back for a moment at the sketches that she had been working on earlier, but this motion went unnoticed by Blair. Instead, the brunette took a seat at the computer at her desk almost immediately after her departure. She had asked her mother beforehand for the code associated with that particular thread. She put the code in the search engine to find fourteen results. She heard Jenny rustling through some hangers in the other room. She knew she needed to buy herself some more time in order to thoroughly rummage through the data before her.

"Jenny?" she called out into the open.

"Yeah?" she heard her shout back.

"Would you mind bringing me the entire collection Eleanor plans to have me model soon?" she asked as politely as possible.

"Sure Blair," Jenny replied. "Just let me grab them from Eleanor's office."

Blair smiled at her quick response. She knew her mother's office was all the way at the other end of the hall. This would certainly buy her a little more time for her investigation. She began searching for the clients that had ordered each of the fourteen designs. Fortunately for her, the designs were fairly exclusive and only an elite few were given the privilege of wearing such exquisite designs. She scrolled through the list on the lookout for a name of interest. Blair lost hope as she neared the end of the list only to spy a name that was as familiar as it was unwelcome – Georgina Sparks.

"Blair?" Jenny called from Eleanor's office, her voice merely a faint echo to Blair's ears. "I can't seem to find the designs for that particular collection. I think Eleanor may have taken them with her to..."

"That's fine!" Blair cried back, tuning out the rest of her ramblings.

She heard Jenny's footsteps grow louder and louder as she made her way back to the room and Blair scrambled to bring up the homepage. She returned to her seat just as Jenny returned with a slew of dresses.

"Do you mind if I try them on now?" the brunette questioned. "I mean, I know they're just the samples and I don't know if they're in my size or whatnot, but..."

She was here to put on a complete show and Blair Waldorf was nothing if not a wonderful actress. After all, had _Audrey_ not been a phenomenal actress as well?

"Not a problem," Jenny assured her. "They should fit you perfectly. You can just go ahead and try them on in this room if you'd like. No one else is here but us, so you don't have to worry about someone walking in on you while you change."

"Where _are_ all the staff by the way?" Blair wondered out loud as she reached for the first dress atop of the pile.

Jenny shrugged. "Eleanor decided to give everyone a few days off. She had to jet off to Paris herself to meet up with another designer. I think I mentioned this earlier. You probably didn't hear me."

The brunette smiled politely. _Well, she hadn't missed much by tuning out on Jenny earlier._

"Sorry about that. Thanks for telling me anyway. I had no idea my mother had jetted off to Paris," Blair commented. "I have yet to talk to Dorota today though. She probably told Dorota to tell me."

Jenny gave her no reply and both girls gasped at the dress that Blair had chosen to try on as the brunette surveyed herself in a nearby mirror. It was a simple, black dress, but it had been adorned with very sophisticated layers of lace. On the left side of the dress sat a series of deep purple roses in varying sizes and on the single largest rose was a butterfly that had been lined with that exact thread that Blair has shown Jenny earlier. It was absolutely gorgeous as if it had been made especially to accentuate her body in all the right places.

"Blair," Jenny breathed. "With a set of black stilettos and a satin purple headband, you would have _all_ of Manhattan falling head over heels for you."

"All of Manhattan has _already_ fallen head over heels for me," Blair teased.

"I hope just my brother falling for you is enough," Jenny mentioned casually.

"What?" Blair confirmed, thinking she had heard the young blond incorrectly.

Jenny paused for a brief moment before finally deciding to confront the brunette.

"Blair, is there something going on between you and Chuck?" Jenny accused her.

Blair stopped her mouth just in time from hanging open in shock at her ridiculous accusation.

"Where is this coming from Jenny? You _know_ I love Dan. Our two year anniversary is coming up!" she protested.

Jenny did not hesitate this time in speaking her mind. She knew _now_ was the time to stand up for her brother.

"Blair, I just wanted to make sure that you _do_ love him because he really spent a lot of time and effort preparing for this anniversary. If there _is_ something going on between you and Chuck, I'd rather you tell him and hurt him sooner rather than later. You owe him that much," Jenny finished. "I saw the way you and Chuck were looking at each other at dinner the other night. I _know_ that look because it's exactly the way I look at Nate and the way _he_ looks at Serena."

Blair's heart dropped to the floor at her words. She had always known the error of her encounters with Chuck, but having someone else point that out to her made things even clearer in her mind. She had been _cheating_ on Dan both physically and emotionally. Her heart was torn between two people. She loved Dan, but she found herself falling for Chuck. Jenny was right. She needed to make a decision. The problem was she didn't even know whether she was falling for Chuck because she liked the _mind games_ they played with one another or that she was _actually _falling for who he was as a person. She would at least wait until the case was over to think all of this through though. After all, Chuck had agreed to keep this professional. Surely she had a right to postpone her decision if only for a little while.

"Jenny, I promise you that I am in love with Dan. As for your love for Nate, I know you'll find someone else Jenny. You're amazing in your own right," Blair told her.

"Thanks," Jenny mumbled. "I'm sorry that I brought this topic up, but I just don't want Dan to get hurt."

"Of course," Blair assured her. "Neither do I."

She had tried on only two more of the fourteen designs before deciding that the first one had really suited her the best.

"I'll take the one with the deep purple roses and the butterfly. I doubt I'll find a better dress even if I were to try them all on," Blair commented.

Jenny smiled. "I'll send a new one over to your place later today. I'll use the same measurements because this one seemed to fit you so perfectly."

"Since you happen to be the designer of this dress, would you mind picking out a pair of stilettos to go with them as well as a headband? You can just charge me for them in addition to the dress," Blair noted.

"Not a problem," Jenny assured her. "I can even sew a matching butterfly on the headband to compliment the dress."

"Thanks Jenny," Blair said as she started towards the door.

Jenny sighed a breath of relief as Blair closed the door behind her. The designs she had been working on would make her look suspicious more than anything. Her new line was to be called Danger In Design and each dress was practically glossed over murder. It was scandalous and was sure to cause a fashion revolution. This would be _huge_, but now was not the time to showcase such designs, especially when the authorities were still following the case so closely. Her inspiration for her new line _had_ been from Pete's death after all and she doubted Chuck or Nate would understand the creative mind of a designer. She knew Blair was investigating the murder as well through Dan and she doubted Blair would appreciate her work either. She would be pinned immediately as a suspect and a twisted one at that.

* * *

Blair rummaged through her purse for her phone. She flipped it open and immediately dialed for Chuck. She groaned in frustration when she was met with the busy signal. She tried a few more times before finally giving up. She decided to call Nate instead.

"Hello?" Nate spoke into his phone upon answering her call.

"Nate, I was wondering if you could give me some information on the case," Blair started.

"Blair," Nate sighed. "You _know_ I can't do that. Chuck would _flip_ if he found out I was helping you. His ego wouldn't be able to take it if you solved this case before he did."

"Chuck and I are working together now," Blair told him, rolling her eyes at his dramatics. "Did he not tell you?"

"Nope," Nate answered. "He didn't, but then again I haven't seen him all day not that I'm surprised of course."

"And _why_ are you not surprised?" Blair wondered.

"Nothing," the blond assured her, shrugging off her question.

Nate knew it was not his place to tell Blair about what today was. If Chuck wanted to tell her about his parent's accident, he would.

"Alright," Blair said carefully. "Could you just tell me if you and Chuck have ever considered Georgina Sparks as a suspect?"

She really didn't want to pry. After all, what Chuck did unless it involved the case was of no importance to her. All she wanted was some information on Georgina.

"Yeah," Nate offered her. "But we see her more as an accomplice, although she could have murdered Pete herself."

"What exactly framed her as a suspect?" Blair probed.

"Well," Nate started. "The bottom line is that she was causing quite a scene in the ballroom only moments after the murder, so we figured either she was creating a distraction for the murderer or she was creating an alibi for herself."

"There would be a discretion in the times though, would there not?" Blair questioned.

"Normally speaking, yes," Nate responded. "But you already know about the damaged or rather nonexistent tapes."

"Oh right," Blair concurred, remembering that tiny detail. "Thanks Nate. That's all I needed to know."

"Not a problem," Nate assured her.

Blair ended the call and quickly climbed into a cab. She dialed for Georgina next.

"Sparks," Georgina informed her as she picked up her phone.

"Meet me in front of Central Park in half an hour," Blair demanded.

"And why would I want to do that Blair?" Georgina asked, recognizing her voice almost immediately.

"Curiosity," she replied simply before ending the call.

* * *

"Busy," Dan declared as he ended the call for the _hundredth_ time in a row.

Vanessa laughed. "Dan, do you honestly think you need to remind Blair that tomorrow is your anniversary?"

"No," Dan answered truthfully. "But it wouldn't hurt. She's just been so busy lately trying to solve this case and whatnot. I admire her determination, but why can't she just leave this to the professionals?"

Vanessa gave him a look.

"Oh right," Dan commented sarcastically. "I'm preaching to the choir here."

"Speaking of Pete's murder again," Vanessa started as Dan shot her an apologetic glance. "Can you believe Bart is throwing a glamorous party in memory of Pete rather than a funeral?"

"I was surprised to receive the invitation to say the least," Dan commented. "Did you ask your dad for the reason behind this absurdity?"

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "He claims Pete would have wanted everyone to celebrate his life instead of attending a somber funeral."

"That's actually quite true," Dan offered.

"Yes," Vanessa agreed. "But in the form of a costume party?"

Dan laughed. "Ok. You have a good point there. What does the guest list look like?"

"Everyone who's anyone will be there basically," Vanessa informed him. "He even has entertainment planned for some of his clients. Leave it to my father to turn every event into a business opportunity."

Dan could hear the bitterness in her voice and he decided to gear her attention towards another topic.

"Hey," he started. "Would you mind running through the proposal once with me?"

Vanessa stuttered, "Are you sure? I mean, I..."

"Come on! Please?" Dan begged her. "Otherwise, I'll have to run it through with Jenny or my dad and that would be even _more_ embarrassing."

Vanessa sighed in defeat as they stepped into the house. "Alright Humphrey, but we're only doing this _once_."

"Thank you," Dan responded genuinely. "Should I just start with the actual proposal part then?"

Vanessa laughed as she tossed her purse nonchalantly on the couch. "Yeah, unless you plan on cooking me dinner and taking me to Victrola."

Dan knelt down in front of her in response and a tension filled the empty space between them.

"Do you remember when we used to pretend to do this when we were kids?" Vanessa asked, trying to ease the tension that had engulfed them. "We were always fooling around with pretend proposals and marriages. Just go with the flow Dan. If your heart's in the right place, the words will just come to you."

"Blair," he began. "Our relationship started out with ulterior motives, but truthfully, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. A lot of people trudge through life searching for what they want. I _know_ what I want. No matter what happens, I want to spend the rest of my life with you Blair because I can't imagine living even a single moment of my life without knowing that you're by my side. I love you. Will you do me the honour of being my wife?"

"Yes," Vanessa whispered hoarsely, her eyes wet from her tears.

Dan stared at her for a moment to take in her emotions. He felt an odd feeling at the pit of his stomach, but deemed it to be nerves.

"Wow," Dan commented. "Do you really think she'll say yes? I hope she's as moved by my speech as you were."

Vanessa smiled through her tears and quickly wiped away the tiny droplets. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled. What did you think of my performance Humphrey? I even forced out a few tears for you."

Dan returned her smiled. "Thanks Vanessa. I'm so excited for tomorrow night, but at the same time, I'm so afraid of her answer I think I might pee myself."

"Better wear a diaper for the extra insurance then," Vanessa mocked him, now fully recovered from her moment of heartbreak.

Dan frowned at her remark, but joined her in laughter soon enough. What _was_ that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach? He must be more nervous about this proposal than he thought.

* * *

"Blair Waldorf," Georgina greeted her as she seated herself next to the brunette on the bench. "What can I do for you today?"

"Georgina," Blair greeted her in response, careful to maintain her cool demeanour. "You could answer a question for me."

Georgina smirked at the demanding tone in her voice.

"Careful with that tone B," she warned. "I could become a mute in mere seconds."

Blair rolled her eyes at her threat and retrieved the thread from her purse moments later.

"Is this yours?" Blair questioned.

"You think I killed Pete, don't you?" Georgina wasted no time in asking.

"_What?_"

Blair was shocked at how open she was about the possibility.

"_Did_ you?" Blair challenged, wondering if Georgina was currently inebriated or high enough to admit it to her.

"That thread came from one of my dresses. I know I tore my dress in his room, but I didn't kill him," Georgina responded.

_Was she telling the truth?_ It was hard to tell, especially when Georgina was the suspect in question.

"I know Chuck and Nate have me on their suspect list. I make it my business to know these things. I'll tell you what happened that night B, but only because you caught me in an extremely good mood today," she informed her.

Blair nodded and listened intently to what she was about to say.

"That night, I did go to the Palace to see Pete. Pete and I are mischief buddies you see," Georgina explained. "We were at a masquerade party together when we decided to move the party to a suite at the Palace. Needless to say Pete had already caused quite a ruckus with Rufus Humphrey before I arrived with the cocaine and the booze. Pete and I were drinking, getting high, and having an all around ball when he suddenly asked me to leave because apparently, Serena was coming to meet him."

"Go on," Blair urged her.

She had a bad feeling that Serena had killed Pete, but a part of her still didn't want to believe it.

"I'll continue the story if you pay me two hundred dollars," Georgina told the brunette.

"_What?_" Blair scoffed. "How about you tell me or I'll turn you over to the authorities?"

Georgina smirked. "Even you should know B that they can't arrest me or even take me in for questioning without proper evidence."

"I _have_ evidence," Blair retorted, reminding her of the thread.

"You can't prove it came from my dress, especially since I plan to burn it the moment I return home today. Besides, I'm sure Eleanor Waldorf Designs has a numerous number of clients," Georgina noted.

Knowing that Georgina had the upper hand, Blair conceded to her demand. "I'll pay you after you finish telling me what you know."

"That's more like it B," Georgina said, offering her an evil smile. "Anyway, I left and my dress was caught on the knob of the drawer. I tugged my dress out of the mess it was in and that's probably why you found that piece of thread. I swear I left the moment I had freed myself, so I would pin Serena as the murderer if I were you or at least, she'd be a much more likely suspect than me."

Blair shook her head, going through the motion of denouncing such an accusation. The brunette pulled out her wallet and slipped her two hundred dollars.

"It was nice doing business with you Blair. We should do it again sometime," she drawled as she stood up to leave.

"Wait," Blair called after her. "What about all the commotion you caused in the ballroom that night?"

Georgina laughed as she slipped on her sunglasses.

"I was inebriated and completely out of it from whatever drugs I had been taking. I had no idea I was even in the ballroom," she explained.

Blair eyed her sceptically. "How do I know that that wasn't just a distraction you created to gear everyone's attention away from a murder that had occurred on the top floor of the hotel only moments ago? How do I know that that wasn't just a distraction you created to provide yourself with an alibi after _conveniently_ tampering with the hotel's security system?"

"You don't," she answered simply. "But think about it Blair. What motive would I have had to kill him? I lost one of my best mischief buddies. I mean, we also blackmailed a few people together. I have more to lose with him dead, don't you think?"

With that, Georgina climbed into a nearby taxi and Blair could only stand motionless in thought as the vehicle pulled away from the curb.


	18. Be My Escape

**A/N:** I ended the chapter where I did because it felt right to me. I can leave the rest to your imagination or I can write about her first time with Chuck in the form of flashbacks in the next chapter. Either way works for me as it does not affect the actual case. Let me know by leaving me a review.

**Be My Escape**

* * *

Blair tried to reach Chuck again, but she was met with the familiar sound of the busy tone. She decided to call him at his house. He could be there lounging around for all she knew. She let the phone ring. On the fifth ring, she almost hung up, but the sound of a familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Hello?" Eric spoke into the phone.

"Hey Eric," she greeted him. "Do you have any idea where Chuck is? I want to fill him in on a few things regarding the case, but he's been unreachable so far."

"Oh right," Eric responded. "He mentioned his plans to convince you into working together with him on the case."

"Only because his _humongous_ ego wouldn't be able to handle it if I were to crack the case first I'm sure," she said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Eric smiled at her assumption not that the brunette would be able to see it of course.

"_Or_ he needed an excuse to spend more time with you," he offered boldly.

When no response was heard from the brunette, Eric decided it was best to return to the matter at hand.

"Blair, why don't you try contacting him tomorrow?" the blond suggested. "I highly doubt you'll have any luck reaching him today."

"Something is going on here," she deduced reasonably, crinkling her nose in realization. "Nate avoided mentioning his whereabouts when I called him earlier and now you are too. I don't want to pry into his private life nor do I care where he is or who he might be with, but as his partner, I think I have a _right_ to know, especially if it's going to affect our progress with the case. The sooner we finish this investigation, the better."

Eric sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair.

"Trust me Blair," he reiterated. "Today _really_ isn't a good day to talk to Chuck. He'll either be drunk out of his mind and brooding in a corner or fully prepared to punch someone in the face if they so much as bother him."

"I'll take my chances," Blair answered in a clipped tone.

She was starting to get extremely curious over what today was that would have Chuck so upset. She told herself she only cared because he was slowing down the investigation and that she was curious by nature. _Sure thing Blair. You keep telling yourself that. Whatever helps you sleep at night sweetheart._

"Good luck getting him to talk to you then. That's _if_ and _when_ you find him of course. It's your funeral," Eric warned her.

"Will you please just tell me what is going on?" Blair pleaded with him.

She was bursting at the seams with curiosity. Curiosity didn't kill the cat. It killed Blair Waldorf.

"I can't Blair," he insisted. "It's not my place to tell you. He rarely opens up to me or Nate about the incident as it is and even when he does, it only rids him of his memories momentarily. They always come back to haunt him eventually."

"Maybe you two just don't know how to talk to him. Come on Eric. A woman's perspective would be nice, wouldn't it?" she pressed on.

Eric laughed bitterly at the idea. "I think even you've realized by now that he has a bit of a trust issue with women."

"You don't say," the brunette bit out sarcastically.

The blond ignored her sarcastic statement and continued.

"That's why he's never been in a proper relationship," he explained. "My brother prides himself in conquests not girlfriends."

She purposely chose to dispose of the disappointment that had fluttered into her heart at his words. _My brother prides himself in conquests not girlfriends._ There was a slight pause as the wheels began to turn inside her head.

"This is about your parents, isn't it?" Blair asked. "The tragic accident that happened however many years ago happened today."

"How did you know about that?" Eric questioned in shock.

"Well, your parents' death was plastered all over the news for starters," she enlightened him. "Of course, no details about the accident had ever been released. All that was known was that Mr. Bass was on his way to a gala where he was to meet up with his wife and her initially unidentified male friend. The terrible accident had been a cruel act of fate that had taken all three of their lives."

"Yeah, that was the glossed over media version of the story," Eric fumed.

Blair almost hung up the phone in fear at his abrupt change in attitude. The coldness that encased his words sent a chill down her spine. What was the _real_ story? She was almost too afraid of the answer to ask.

"The other time when I was questioning you and Jonathan, you casually mentioned an accident because I was being harsh on Chuck and his charms," she spoke up, suddenly remembering the incident. "I was confused then as to what kind of accident could possibly be responsible for his character, but I'm assuming now that _this_ was the accident you were referring to?"

Eric remained silent so Blair trudged on.

"What _really_ happened that night Eric?" she urged. "It must have been horrible if Chuck is still so torn over its memory this many years after the incident had occurred."

"Blair, I really can't say anything more. I've already said too much, but I promise you that what was transmitted through the media was all a lie or at least they hid the truth. My aunt made sure they did," he informed her, contempt lingering in his voice.

"I'm sorry for prying Eric," she apologized sincerely. "I just...want to...help him."

Eric could sense that her curiosity was propelled by something more than her desire to finish their investigation as soon as possible. She cared for his brother and he could see that.

"I know. Why don't you go and find Chuck Blair?" Eric suggested, his tone noticeably happier. "Who knows? You may be the key to dispelling his nightmare."

"Right except for the fact that he doesn't trust women," she reminded him.

"You would be the first in a _long_ time if he decides to tell you the real story," Eric agreed.

"I'll do what I can," Blair promised him. "It would be nice to know where he is though."

Eric chuckled lightly. "Yeah, that _would_ be helpful. Honestly though, I have no idea where he is. Chuck could be anywhere as long as scotch is on the menu."

"Oh," Blair sounded, her voice deflated upon hearing his response.

"I would stop by Victrola first though. He loves that place. He always mentions how that burlesque club is the perfect escape to me," the blond alerted her.

"Thank you," Blair replied, anxious to find him as soon as possible.

She opened her mouth to speak again, his farewell passing over her head unnoticed.

"The unidentified male friend was her secret lover, wasn't he?" she whispered. "Mrs. Bass had an affair."

Her suspicions were met by the monotonous beating of the dial tone.

* * *

Blair walked into the club to find Chuck sitting alone in a corner brooding with a glass of scotch just as Eric had predicted. Of course this scenario was much preferred over being knocked out even if by the hands of a hot detective.

She noticed that the place was fairly empty tonight not that she had ever been here before, but she had heard from Serena that Victrola was usually packed with people. There was no one else in her line of vision except for the bartender and a couple of dancers. There were a few customers lingering here and there as well, but they were of no interest to Blair.

She approached him with caution then, careful to minimize the clacking of her heels against the floor of the club, and took a seat next to him on the couch. She made sure to leave a comfortable space between them.

"Chuck," she greeted him as he took a swig of his scotch.

He put down his drink and turned to look at her, his face cold and emotionless. He said nothing to break the silence and turned back to face the stage, pretending to be entranced by the eloquent movements of each of the dancers. She decided to take a risk and engage him in conversation once again.

"Chuck," she started. "I know what happened."

He remained silent, although he flinched at her words.

"We can talk about it," she suggested.

"No. You know what you _can_ do though Waldorf? You can leave me the fuck alone," he hissed.

"Chuck," she whispered, ignoring the evident pain in his voice. "I know what you're going through."

He scoffed at her pathetic attempt to appease him.

"You _know_ what _I'm_ going through?" he clarified, whirling around to face her. "Last time I checked both your mother and father were still alive."

The emptiness in his eyes broke her heart and she held her tongue momentarily before speaking up again.

"I meant the part about one of your parents having been unfaithful," she mentioned cautiously, offering him a chance to confirm her theory. "My father left my mother for a male model when I was just a little girl Chuck."

His eyes darkened at her words. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered at the thought of how much she cared for him to be at his side right now, but he hated that she was trying to comfort him; that she was sympathizing with him. He was unbreakable. Chuck Bass needed pity from no one. He would not be seen as a weakling, especially not by Blair Waldorf.

"How sad," he drawled, waving off her attempt to comfort him. "Now, either we start talking about the case or I will insist that you leave me in peace. Frankly, my personal life isn't any of your business Blair or did I imagine the part where we struck a deal to keeping our relationship professional?"

Blair's eyes watered slightly at his words, but she bit her lip to prevent any tears from falling.

"Trust me Chuck," she assured him, reaching out to place a hand on his knee.

She felt him shiver under her touch and her own breath hitched upon contact.

"You will feel _so_ much better if you let go of your bottled emotions," she continued. "You can talk to me. You can _trust_ me. I...care about you Chuck."

"You don't have the fucking _right_ to care about me Blair," he seethed, removing her hand roughly from its place on his knee. "Now, are we going to discuss the case or not?"

He turned to look at her then and he found her eyes darken to a shade that resembled his own. He knew he had pushed her over the edge with his final words, but they had been necessary. He could not allow anyone to see him as weak, especially not when said audience was Blair Waldorf.

"Fine," she spat. "I went to see Jenny as planned. She seems like an unlikely suspect to me. I think Jenny is innocent."

"Oh," he mentioned sarcastically. "Well, as long as _you_ think Jenny Humphrey is innocent."

Blair sent him a hard glare and that shut him right up. He motioned for her to continue.

"I also discovered that Georgina was one of the clients who had purchased a dress with that particular thread. There were other clients, but none of them seemed to be of interest for this case. I took the liberty of speaking to Georgina already."

"Without consulting me first?" Chuck asked in disbelief. "She could have _killed_ you to keep her dirty little secret if she thought you knew too much!"

Blair couldn't help but smile at the evident concern in his voice. He seemed to notice it too because he cleared his throat in a failed attempt to dispel the evidence from the depths of his mouth.

"She would have had to be the murderer for that scenario to have _possibly_ occurred and _technically_, I don't have to ask your permission for anything," she reminded him. "I don't work _for_ you Chuck. I'm your partner."

"Too bad you're just that," he mumbled miserably under his breath.

"What?"

He shook his head, covering his outburst with another sip of his scotch.

"Nothing. So, what did the wicked witch have to say?"

She could have sworn she heard him say something, but she let it go. There was no use arguing over pointless things.

"The bottom line is that she had more to lose than to gain with him dead," Blair answered him, releasing a disappointed sigh. "What motive could she possibly have for killing him?"

Chuck scoffed. "Are you sure she wasn't just playing you? Georgina Sparks is as manipulative as they come."

"I've had enough encounters with her to know her games Chuck," Blair insisted. "She's _not_ playing me this time. I don't think she did it."

"With the way we're crossing these suspects off the list Blair, sooner or later we'll be investigating each other," he teased, trying to lighten the mood. "I think you're simply too trusting of people."

She was about to retort with a comment about his severe _lack_ of trust in people, but decided against it. He seemed to be less tense since they had started discussing the case and she really didn't want to burst his bubble.

"Did you have any luck on the Bart and Vanessa front?" she inquired.

"Bart admitted to Vanessa being his pretend alibi," he revealed. "That means Vanessa is no longer a suspect or at least not a very likely one. As for Bart, he still claims he had no part in killing his son even _with_ his lack of alibi for that night."

"That still makes him a suspect," Blair reasoned.

"He _is_ still a primary suspect," Chuck agreed. "We still need cold, hard evidence to accuse him of murder though."

Blair sighed. "Well, I still plan to finish investigating Serena. I can drop off a hair sample with Daryl tomorrow by the way."

"I know you don't want to hear this Blair, but Serena is a primary suspect as well. I'm really starting to think she had something to do with Pete's death," Chuck mentioned as casually as he could. "Daryl, who took it upon himself to obtain a strand of Jenny's hair somehow, sent it off to the lab for tests today. Her DNA doesn't match the strand of hair we found at the crime scene, making her even less of a suspect than she was before. I'm not eliminating her completely as you are, but she _is_ ridiculously low on my suspect list right now. Serena, however, is right up there next to Bart."

Blair shook her head to denounce his words.

"I'm investigating her to prove her _innocence_," she told him. "I'd like to think I know Serena well enough to know that she would never resort to killing someone."

_Or was she being too sure of herself?_

"You're awfully defensive about your best friend," he observed, smirking in her direction.

He lifted his drink to his lips once more as Blair crossed her arms in defiance.

"So, you wouldn't get defensive if I thought Nate was the killer then? He could be a suspect too you know," she shot back at him. "Does _he_ have an alibi Detective Bass?"

He tucked a loose curl behind her ear and leaned in close until they were one heated breath away from the other.

"Then Miss Waldorf, I'd like to think I know _Nate_ well enough to know that he would never resort to killing someone," he said, echoing her earlier words regarding his suspicions of Serena. "If it pleases you though, feel free to investigate him."

His words escaped her mind and Blair almost stopped breathing at the ever close proximity of his soft lips to her own. She shifted back slightly towards the right arm of the couch and although he sensed her growing discomfort, he closed the space between them once again.

To his utter and complete surprise, she did not back away this time. Instead, she leaned forward as if preparing herself for a kiss. He mirrored her movement, but stopped himself short on the reminder that she was off limits; that he had promised to keep their relationship professional for the duration of the investigation.

"Would you like me to take you home?" he whispered instead.

She cleared her throat, blushing slightly at her misinterpretation of the situation. She pulled back from their almost kiss and mentally scolded herself for having almost given in to her desires rather than listening to the logic of her mind.

"I can take a cab. Thank you for the offer though," she finally responded after a moment of brief silence.

He downed the rest of scotch and shook his head, standing up from his place on the couch and offering her his arm.

"I insist Blair," he said simply.

The tone in his voice told her that she had no choice in the matter so she hooked her arm in his without complaint as they headed for the door.

"Consider this an apology for the way I treated you earlier," he added.

Blair stopped in her tracks and titled her head to face him. She had never expected Chuck Bass to apologize for his behaviour not that he really needed to. She completely understood that his rudeness had merely been a mechanism to mask his pain just as she waved off his apology now to mask her shock.

"Apology accepted," she assured him, offering him a genuine smile. "I apologize for prying into your personal life as well. I had no right to do that."

"Weakness is not a personal characteristic I wanted to share with you is all," he confessed absentmindedly.

He paused upon hearing his own words. Even his _mind_ had a mind of its own whenever he was around her. He cursed himself silently for his blunder.

"What?" Blair clarified, thinking she had heard him wrong.

He did not answer her. It was better that she hadn't heard his confession. Chuck started walking towards the limo and he opened the door for her, waiting for her to climb into the vehicle. Blair stood where she was for a moment before she slipped onto the leather seats. Chuck slid in after her and rolled down the window separating them both from the driver, signalling for him to drive in the direction of her house.

They rode in complete silence for a while though it seemed like an eternity to them both. He nursed yet another bottle of scotch as she stared out the window, mesmerized by the falling rain. He spoke up eventually, interrupting the comfortable silence between them.

"The sky is crying," he told her, his voice cracking slightly at the notion.

She snapped out of her trance and turned to look at him in curiosity. She witnessed a single tear slide down his cheek, marking its territory. She could tell that he was trying his best to control his emotions because she wore the same expression on her face whenever she tried to hold back her own. It took every ounce of strength left in her body not to reach out to him. She doubted that Chuck wanted her to see him cry. She waited patiently for him to finish his thoughts.

"It weeps for the dead," he explained in a barely audible whisper.

Blair felt a tug on her heart then for the vulnerable boy before her. He had chosen to surrender to her; to _trust_ her and she knew he probably hated himself for his weakness. He took another swig from the bottle as a second tear joined the first in its course. She had no idea what to say in response to his somber statement, so she shifted closer to him instead and embraced him, resting her head on his shoulder.

He froze under her touch, but eventually relaxed into her arms. He tilted his head slightly and captured her warm lips with his own. He was done keeping things professional. Something exploded inside of him then at his abrupt decision and it had served to numb the pain better than any amount of scotch he had consumed that night. She pulled away only when the driver had tapped lightly on the tinted barrier to inform them that they had arrived at their destination.

"Good night Blair," he mumbled.

He knew she was probably waiting for an apology of sorts for taking advantage of her, but he held his tongue. He did not regret that kiss one bit. He continued to stare down at the carpeted floor of the limo unable to watch her exit, afraid that if he did, he would pull her back in an instant and beg her not to go; beg her not to leave him.

He inevitably heard her step out of the limo and of course his driver was careful to hold an umbrella over her head to keep her sheltered from the rain. To his surprise though, Blair returned mere seconds later, a few water droplets accentuating her chocolate hair.

The limo began to move again and he opened his mouth to address her lingering presence. Was she merely a figment of his imagination? To answer his burning question, she kissed him full on the lips. No, he would _never_ be able to imagine a kiss like that. She was real. He kissed her back hungrily, relishing in the feel of her now swollen lips against his own. He melded her tongue with hers and she opened her mouth to receive him. They broke from their heated kisses to regain their steady breathing and the look in both of their dark eyes was unmistakable – lust.

"You sure?" he murmured into her hair as she leaned into him once more.

"Yes," she whispered as she straddled his hips.

She paused momentarily at her own sudden boldness and looked at him questioningly, running a finger down the length of his jaw. What was she doing? She had a boyfriend! Their anniversary was tomorrow and she was about to lose her virginity to Chuck Bass! But the moment her eyes locked their gaze on his, she knew there was no turning back. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had before. Even the increasing strength of the pounding rain paled in comparison to its steady rhythm. It was at this exact moment that she knew that she had irrevocably fallen for the man before her. Blair Waldorf was in love with Chuck Bass and so she decided to surrender herself to him; to be his escape.


	19. Forgive Me My Sins

**A/N:** I promise the suspense of the actual case will return soon. I think some of the drama amongst the characters should be resolved first. Honoré de Balzac is responsible for the quote that Eric cites. There is a definite truth to his words. Reviews would be amazing. This chapter is rated **M**.

**Forgive Me My Sins**

* * *

Blair woke up with Chuck by her side. His arm was slung protectively across her waist and she let out a contented sigh at the feel of his skin against her own. It felt good to feel so safe. She reached out to touch his tousled hair and he shifted slightly in his sleep.

"Blair," he murmured against his plump pillow.

An involuntary shiver ran down her spine at the way he said her name. It sounded like the name of an angel across his lips and she had never felt so beautiful in her entire life.

_He flicked his tongue at her waiting nipple and she hissed at the sensation. She instinctively arched her back to urge him on and he was more than happy to comply with her demands._

"_Chuck," she moaned._

_He ran a finger over her slick folds in response and she felt her eyes roll to the back of her head as she gasped at the insistent fluttering of butterfly wings riveting her body from head to toe._

Blair smiled at the memory. She had always thought that her first time would be an extremely awkward experience, but Chuck had made her feel so comfortable and safe in his arms that he had left little room for her insecurities.

"_Chuck," she whispered, her voice quivering slightly with a mix of anticipation and fear._

"_I would never hurt you Blair," he assured her, cupping her left cheek in his hand._

_She nodded numbly at his promise and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain. She whimpered as his tip grazed her entrance and he kissed the crook of her neck until she turned to mesh her lips with his. He continued to kiss her feverishly as he slowly began to enter her. He paused when she broke from their kisses, placing a hand lightly on his chest._

"_Did I hurt you?" he asked in concern. "The pain will go away soon sweetheart."_

_He continued to stay where he was as he witnessed a tear slide down her cheek. Oh Christ! He was hurting her. He started to pull out of her when she placed a hand on his arm, urging for him to stay in place. He complied with her request and waited until she ready._

"_Alright," she told him after a few silent moments._

"_You sure?" he questioned once more as he kissed away her fallen tear._

_She nodded her head vigorously in response and murmured, "I trust you."_

_His heart swelled at her words as he delved further into her heated core. She gasped, but this time it was in pleasure. He buried his nose in her chocolate curls as he began to move in and out of her very slowly each time taking it only a tiny bit further. He wanted to make this good for her. She moaned at the feel of him inside her and he felt like he was about to burst at the feel of her walls tightening even further around him._

"_Faster," she pleaded with him as a fire gradually started to ignite within her._

_The unfamiliar stirring in her lower abdomen left her desperate to further aggravate the flames._

"_Faster," she pleaded with him again as he seemed to have ignored her request the first time._

_He began to slide in and out of her at an increased pace as she raked her nails across his back in silent approval. He hissed at the welts she had left and he thrust himself inside of her to her very hilt at her command._

"_Chuck!" she shouted in pleasure and she grasped onto him even tighter than she had before._

_He felt her walls pulse around him and he knew she was close. He flipped them over so that she was now on top and she placed both her hands on his chest for support. His own hands rested gently on her hips to guide her in her movements._

_The rain was no longer falling now and all that could be heard was the synchronized symphony of their heavy breathing. She continued riding him at a steady pace and he let her explore the moment on her own. The goddess before him was astounding. Her figure was illuminated only by a stray ray of light radiating from the moonlight and he found himself mesmerized by her every movement._

_His inner praise for her beauty, however, was interrupted by her desperate moans and he knew what she wanted. He thrust upwards into her core several times to meet her fixed rhythm causing her to throw her head back and close her eyes at the impression._

"_Oh my God! Chuck!" she cried out as he met her one last time, taking her to the very edge of her sanity._

_The way she screamed his name pushed him over the edge as well and they rode out their orgasm together, clinging tightly onto each other afraid that when they let go of one another, this night would have only been a dream._

The second time they had made love was even better and it had had nothing to do with the fact that this time, they were in an actual bed. They had cuddled in the limo for an hour or so before they had somehow stumbled into his room to spend the rest of the night. Luckily, Eric had left a note to inform Chuck that he would be spending the night with Jonathan.

Last night had been utterly incredible. Every time he had left her wanting more. She felt invincible in his presence and the way he looked at her was indescribable. He constantly reminded her of how beautiful she was, but for once in her life, she didn't need to hear it. She felt beautiful in every sense of the word and she knew she could never feel like this with anyone else for the rest of her life.

She relished in their intimate memories as she ran her finger down the length of his jaw. He mumbled a few inaudible words again and she longed to hear what he had to say. Her phone began to ring then, interrupting her thoughts and she picked it up almost immediately afraid to wake the sleeping boy beside her. He looked so serene in his slumber. She wrapped a sheet around her waist and made her way into the bathroom.

"Hello?" she whispered into her phone, still paranoid over waking Chuck.

"Did I wake you up sweetheart?" Dan asked affectionately.

The way he had said sweetheart felt foreign to her this morning though he had used that term of endearment many times before. _The pain will go away soon sweetheart._ She blushed furiously as the dark, sultry voice that had taken the liberty of assaulting her mind.

"Dan," she started. "We need to talk."

"You can tell me when I pick you up for our anniversary date," Dan insisted. "I will be the extremely nervous boy stepping out of a stretch limo at around seven tonight in front of your building."

"Dan," she urged, trying to interrupt him.

"I love you," he reminded her as her courage to reveal the truth vanished into thin air.

"I love you too," she responded out of habit before hanging up the phone.

She would tell him about her and Chuck tonight. He deserved to hear the truth from her in person and she would give him just that. It was his reaction to what she would tell him tonight that she was afraid of. Dan would be deathly silent upon hearing her shameful confession. He would be silent not because he had no words to express, but because his words would be buried by the heart-wrenching sound of his own shattering heart.

* * *

She walked out of the bathroom minutes later to find Chuck wide awake.

"Good morning," she greeted him as she fell back onto the bed, her voice tinged with the unmistakable color of gray.

"Good morning," he returned, pulling her tightly against his chest.

He could hear the dejection in her voice and was about to open his mouth to speak when she interrupted him.

"That was Dan," she told him truthfully after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

Chuck remained silent, but subconsciously tightened his grip around her. She turned around in his arms so that she was now facing him. The tip of her nose gently brushed against his own.

"Dan and I have an anniversary date tonight," she informed him. "I plan to tell him about us then. There _is_ an us, right?"

He responded by giving her an assuring kiss, but she was not in the mood to return the sentiment. Chuck pulled back from her unwilling lips and looked at her questioningly. She rolled out of bed and slipped on her dress unable to express the mix of emotions that were currently swirling within her.

"We should probably avoid each other until I break up with Dan tonight," she suggested. "I think he deserves to hear it from me in person rather than from someone else. Serena and Jenny are suspicious of us already."

He put on his own clothes and went over to wrap his arms around her slender waist as she automatically leaned back against his chest.

"We could tell him together," he offered. "I played a hand in this as well."

Blair shook her chestnut curls in his face.

"I can handle it Chuck," she assured him.

He could tell from the tone in her voice that it would not be negotiable, so he let the subject dissolve itself in the silence that gradually enveloped them once again. Neither of them had expected the morning after to be so awkward when the intimate moments from last night had felt so right. Blair took her purse from his hand as he walked her to the front door.

"We can have breakfast before you go," he told her before he opened the door, a part of him unwilling to let her go.

There was an unsettling feeling at the pit of his stomach that the moment she stepped out of his house, she would be gone forever. She would see the light and decide to kick him to the curb and stay with Dan after all. Blair could read him well and gave him a bruising kiss to reassure him.

She pulled back moments later and said, "You have nothing to worry about."

He genuinely smiled upon hearing her words of reassurance. He had never felt so free before. For once in his life, he had let his guard down and it had been worth it. Blair Waldorf had been more than worth it. She was the first woman he had trusted in a long time and it was absolutely liberating.

She returned his sure smile and he found himself missing their usual banter. The last time the two of them had smiled at each other like this before the events of last night had been never. It was sure to return of course once the awkwardness had blown over, but he wanted to expel the awkwardness now. He leaned in close to her as his signature smirk began to form across his features.

"I _am_ pretty irresistible, aren't I Waldorf?" he teased her.

She rolled her eyes and swatted at him playfully.

"I see that taking my virginity has only served to further inflate your enormous ego," she noted sarcastically.

"That, amongst other things," he mentioned casually, glancing down at his member. "Believe me. The pleasure was all mine."

She scoffed at his remark. "You are disgusting Bass."

He pulled her in for another kiss before whispering in her ear, "I am and you love me for it."

She tensed slightly at his words as _he_ did the moment they had left his lips. He played it off quickly though and bade her goodbye.

"I have to meet Nate," he informed her as he got into his car. "Call me later tonight."

She smiled and was glad that he had not realized his own words. That would have probably made the atmosphere between them awkward again.

"I will," she promised before climbing into his waiting limo and heading in the other direction.

* * *

Chuck flipped open his phone the moment the limo had disappeared from his rear-view mirror and dialed for Nate.

"Detective Archibald," he spoke into his phone.

"Nathaniel," he greeted his best friend. "I need to take the day off."

"What for man?" Nate asked curiously. "You never miss a day of work."

"Eric was with Jonathan last night. He sent me a text message this morning to pick him up at his house. I think Eric and I will pay a little visit to our mom and dad," he explained.

There was a slight pause before Nate spoke up again.

"Really?" he asked, an air of uncertainty highlighting his evident disbelief. "You always pay your respects to your father every year, but never to your mother."

"I know, but I think I have finally found it in my heart to completely forgive her Nate," Chuck answered him confidently.

"Wow," the blond responded on the other end of the line. "Alright then."

"Thanks Nathaniel," Chuck said genuinely.

"Not a problem man," he assured him. "I am really proud of you right now. I hope you know that."

"Thanks," the brunette reiterated. "Talk to you later."

He hung up the phone then as he neared the target location. Eric was already waiting for him by the curb. The moment he stepped into the car, Chuck headed in the direction of the cemetery.

"School would be the _other_ way," Eric reminded him, swinging his thumb in the other direction.

"I will call them personally to excuse your absence for the day," Chuck promised.

Eric shrugged. He never liked school that much anyway. At the moment, he was much more curious as to where his brother was taking him. As the car rounded the corner of the next street, however, his curiosity was quenched. He was driving towards the cemetery.

"We paid our respects to dad yesterday afternoon already," Eric mentioned in an attempt to jolt his memory.

"I know," he responded, a look of severe determination etching his features. "I think we should pay our respects to mom this year."

Chuck reached to the backseat then and Eric swiveled around to discover what he was groping for. The younger boy couldn't help but let out a surprised gasp when he saw the bouquet of hydrangeas resting on the leather seats.

"Are you sure about this?" Eric asked his brother for a final confirmation.

Chuck nodded confidently at his younger brother.

"Come on Eric," he urged as she stepped out of the car.

Eric followed behind him eagerly. Though his mother and father had been buried next to each other, Chuck had always demanded that he ignore their mother's tombstone. His older brother would always tend to their father's slab with such great care. He would clean it and lay out fresh flowers whenever he had the time to do so. His mother's gravestone, however, remained neglected only to be covered in dust and cobwebs. It was only when it rained or when the lazy caretaker saw fit to it that her tombstone would be tended to. Several times a year, Eric would sneak out to perform the routine himself. He had hated his mother for her infidelity to be sure, but he had forgiven her long ago. He had been freed from the ghost of his past much earlier than Chuck had and that was in many ways a blessing in itself.

Chuck stood in front of both gravestones then and greeted his father. He turned to kneel beside his mother and laid the hydrangeas before her. Eric watched him in silence and decided to walk away for a moment. He wanted Chuck to have this moment for himself. He had secretly come here to talk to his mother over the years anyway. Chuck failed to notice his departure and continued to kneel in front of her tombstone unable to speak. He decided that a casual conversation would be best.

"I brought you hydrangeas mother," he told her. "I know how much you love them."

There was a pause as he heard his own hitched and uneven breathing.

"I have no idea whether or not you can actually hear me, but I want you to know that I forgive you."

His voice cracked slightly as he felt an incredible weight being lifted off of his shoulders. It was a figment of the past that would burden him no longer. He had had the same feeling whenever he had opened up about the incident to either Eric or Nate, but this time, he had a strong hunch it would not return to haunt him.

"You see I met this beautiful girl. Her name is Blair. I knew her from high school actually and we were far from friends, but I met her again recently," he continued. "She was the one who helped me let go of my hatred towards you mom. I think you would like her at least I know I do."

He paused once more as he felt the tears welling up in his eyes. He had no idea how much he had missed his mother until now. She had made a mistake and a huge one at that, but she had never neglected him as a child. She had treated him like the most precious jewel in the world. Suddenly, he felt extremely guilty for having neglected _her_ over the years because of his blinding hatred for what she had done as a result of her infidelity.

Eric returned then, knelt beside his brother, and said, "You had every reason to hate her Chuck and to neglect her. What matters most is that you have forgiven her now just as mom has surely forgiven you for disregarding her over the years."

Chuck nodded furiously at his words as a single tear trailed down his cheek. Eric pulled his brother into a tight hug and although he resisted at first, Chuck fell into his comforting embrace.

"Do you really think she has forgiven me as I have forgiven her?" he whispered in a rigid voice.

Chuck hated feeling so weak and vulnerable though it was nothing to be ashamed of.

Eric nodded reassuringly against his shoulder and answered, "The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness."


	20. Wake Up To The Breakup

**A/N:** I spent two days on this chapter. I have been through more than _ten_ drafts and _this_ was the frustrating result. To be honest, I am _still_ not satisfied with what I have written. I blame the lame and time-consuming defensive driving classes I have been taking for the past two days.

**Wake Up To The Breakup**

* * *

Jenny sneaked into the penthouse as quietly as she could. She was still slightly in shock over what she had seen about an hour ago. She had stayed overnight at Eleanor Waldorf Designs to work on her debut fashion line and had left promptly in the morning only to see something that she wished she hadn't. Blair Waldorf had strode out of Chuck Bass's house that morning looking very much smitten with the boy in question and he had undeniably had the same sparkle in his own eyes. At first, Jenny had tried to convince herself that what she had seen was merely a figment of her imagination, but the kiss the pair had shared in the end had only served to confirm her suspicions rather than denounce them.

The mix of emotions that she was currently experiencing were troubling to say the very least. On the one hand, she was genuinely happy that Blair had discovered that special connection with someone again because whether Blair would admit to it or not, the brunette had lost that very connection with her brother for quite some time now. On the other hand, Dan _was_ her brother and his heart was about to be inevitably broken.

Jenny poured herself a glass of orange juice and took a seat on the couch still clearly deep in thought over what she had had to witness that morning. Should she inform Dan about what she had seen or should she keep this secret safe for Blair until the brunette broke up with him herself? Jenny knew that Blair would never want to hurt Dan intentionally. Surely the brunette was planning to break up with her brother very soon. The blond trusted that she would do the right thing eventually. What if she had simply misinterpreted the situation? Then again, how could one possibly misinterpret a single kiss? These questions continued to swirl around in her head unanswered until her thoughts were interrupted by Rufus, who had finally woken up to greet the beautiful morning.

"Good morning Jen," he greeted her as he poured himself his usual morning cup of coffee. "Did you have a nightmare sweetheart? You seem a little dazed."

She smiled reassuringly at her father and said, "I did have a nightmare of sorts, but I'm fine."

Rufus brought his steaming hot cup of coffee with him and sat down next to his daughter on the couch, his forehead evidently creased with signs of worry and obvious concern.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he urged. "You'll feel better if you talk about it."

Before Jenny could decline his offer, Dan strolled into the kitchen and greeted them both groggily. Jenny returned his greeting with a weak smile as Rufus bade his son good morning and continued to observe his daughter in utmost concern.

"You seem a little dazed," Dan commented at Jenny, echoing the deduction that Rufus had made moments earlier. "Your fashion line not coming along too well?"

Nothing ever got past the Humphrey men, especially not where Jenny was concerned. They both cared about her too much to miss a beat.

"I just had a nightmare last night is all. Dan, may I please speak with you in private?" Jenny requested, glancing at him insistently to let him know that he really had no choice in the matter.

"Sure Jen," he answered uncertainly, cocking his head towards the stairs.

Jenny placed her empty glass in the kitchen sink and followed her brother up the stairs just as Rufus called out to stop them in their tracks.

"Hold on a second," Rufus insisted, motioning for his children to backtrack in their steps.

The two Humphrey children paused instantly, turned around, and waited patiently to hear what their father had to say.

"I know Dan doesn't have class until noon today, but you're going to be late for school Jenny," he reminded her.

"I'll walk you to school then," Dan offered. "We can talk along the way."

Jenny nodded her head in agreement over the proposed arrangement and grabbed her purse before the two headed out of the penthouse. Rufus watched his daughter's retreating figure from the window as a frustrated sigh escaped from his lips. He trusted that Dan would let him know if anything serious was happening with Jenny. His fatherly instinct was certain, however, that what was bothering his daughter was more than the simple nightmare that she had pinned it to be.

* * *

"So," Dan started casually the moment they had stepped outside.

Jenny wrung her hands in anticipation and blurted, "Blair is cheating on you with Chuck."

Dan stared at his younger sister in disbelief for a moment before letting out a tiny chuckle.

"You almost had me going there Jen," he told her.

"Dan," the blond insisted. "I'm being serious. I saw them together this morning with my own eyes. She was leaving his house and..."

"Maybe she was there as a part of her investigation of Pete's murder," Dan interrupted her immediately, unwillingly to believe that Blair would be unfaithful to him.

"They _kissed_ Dan," she insisted. "I'm sorry, but..."

"But _what_?" he questioned, interrupting her unwelcome words once more. "Are you _one hundred_ percent certain of what you saw Jenny? I mean, Eleanor has probably been forcing Blair to spend more time with Chuck, you know? Maybe Blair thought I would get upset if I found out about it, so she refrained from telling me about her meaningless meetings with Chuck."

"I know what I saw Dan and besides, Eleanor is still in France. Even if she has been demanding that Blair spend more time with Chuck, why would she continue to do so the moment her mother was out of town?" Jenny asked him. "You and I both know she would disregard her mother's command in her absence. That is if she hadn't done so already in her presence of course."

"Well, the angle you were watching them in could have made it _seem_ like they were kissing when they really weren't," Dan offered, ignoring her most recent retort. "I've seen that happen in movies plenty of times."

"I'm sorry Dan, but I know what I saw and I _definitely_ saw a kiss," she persisted.

Dan racked his brain for another excuse to pardon his girlfriend from the situation Jenny had caught her in that morning, but unfortunately, drew a blank.

"Thanks for telling me Jen," he said instead as the two neared her school.

Jenny gave her brother a tight but awkward hug and reiterated, "I really _am_ sorry. I know you've been planning to propose..."

"I need to be somewhere," he disrupted her train of thought. "Thanks for telling me again Jen. You did the right thing. Please keep this between us for now."

He started to walk away then and as much as Jenny wanted to stop him in his repetitive movements, she knew better than most people that he desperately needed to be left alone. A broken heart was a dire condition that was better suffered alone in her limited experience. It was only when you finally overcame the pain and the hurt and chose to pick up the shattered pieces of your broken heart that a helping hand would truly be appreciated.

Jenny flipped open her cell phone almost immediately after her brother's departure and dialed for Vanessa. After all, she _was_ his best friend. Dan had told her to keep this between them for now, but surely Vanessa was an exception to his demand. Jenny trusted that the raven-haired girl would be there at the right time and place to pick up the pieces of Dan's broken heart.

* * *

"Chuck!" she scolded him openly. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you..."

"I know," he assured her as he closed her bedroom door gently behind him.

"Chuck!" she reprimanded him again. "Did anyone see you?"

"It hurts that you doubt my skills Blair," he scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "I was totally stealth in sneaking in here to talk to you."

"Seriously Chuck," she started as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. "What are you doing here? Dan is waiting outside for me for our anniversary date."

"Are you _really_ going to tell him about us tonight?" he asked her for confirmation.

She nodded in affirmation.

"I was actually planning to tell him earlier. I figured the sooner I told him, the better, you know? This isn't fair to either you _or_ him," she announced. "He was unreachable all day though. I'll tell him as soon as possible. I promise."

It was his turn to nod solemnly, although a tiny smile exposed itself at her words. _This isn't fair to either you or him._ There was something about the knowledge that she was thinking of him as well that caused the butterflies in his stomach to flutter at their own accord.

"Blair, I think we should tell him together," he suddenly suggested.

"Are you _crazy_?" she asked him, although the answer was as clear as day to her.

"Eric and I went to pay our respects to our mother after we parted ways this morning," he explained.

She took his hand in hers upon instinct and gave it a light but reassuring squeeze. He smiled gratefully at her comforting gesture and continued.

"It was liberating," he insisted. "When we left, however, Eric mentioned something that really had me thinking."

"What did he say?" she wondered curiously, pressing her lips together into a thin line.

"_I'm_ the other man," he stated simply.

"Yes," she agreed hesitatingly, confused as to why he was insistent on stating the obvious.

"I'm the _other_ man," he repeated as he ran his free hand through his disheveled hair. "Eric made me realize how much of a hypocrite I really am."

Upon hearing him label himself as a hypocrite, Blair finally caught on to where his concerns lay.

"So, I would be the equivalent of your mother in this scenario," Blair said, stating the obvious exactly as he had moments earlier.

He sighed and shrugged off the hold she had on his hand.

"I think the least I should do is apologize to him for what has transpired between us Blair. It's just as much your fault as it is mine; it's just as much your responsibility as it is mine," he reminded her.

There was a brief silence before Blair spoke up again.

"I know what you mean Chuck, but I think I should settle this with him by myself first," she voiced her opinion. "He'll probably need some space after our breakup as well before he'll even _consider_ listening to what you have to say."

Chuck sighed again, but this time, it was in defeat.

"You're right. I just felt so guilty after what Eric had pointed out to me that I felt complied to do something on my part, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," she assured him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I really have to go though Chuck. I'll call you later."

With that final farewell, she left him sitting in her room pondering over the mess of a situation they were currently in. He continued to hang his head in shame even moments after Blair had left. He was such a _fucking_ hypocrite.

* * *

Blair approached the limo cautiously and took a deep breath to help calm her nerves. She had practiced what she would say to him over and over again in front of the mirror before Chuck had caught her by surprise and nothing had sounded quite right. She hoped winging this would turn out for the better. He stepped out of the limo then and she offered him a weak smile.

"You look beautiful Blair," he breathed as he helped her into the limo. "Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary," she echoed upon instinct.

She paused immediately afterward over what she had said as her guilt began to consume her.

"Dan," she started, her unsteady voice betraying how nervous she really was. "I need to tell you something."

Dan smiled and said, "Wait until we get to our destination alright? Here, I'll help you put on the blindfold."

"_I'm so sorry Dan," Vanessa told him as he left his afternoon class._

"_What are you so sorry about?" he asked in confusion, walking side by side with his best friend down the narrow hallway._

"_Jenny told me about Blair and Chuck," she answered testily._

_Dan smiled easily in her direction and shook his head to erase her words from his mind._

"_Vanessa, I still refuse to believe that she would cheat on me. Today is our second year anniversary. Unless I witness or hear her confess to the affair myself, she is still very much the loyal girlfriend I know her to be and I still very much plan to propose to her tonight."_

"_Dan," Vanessa urged. "I really don't think that's..."_

"_My decision is final Vanessa," he told her confidently. "I trust her. I know her character. She would never be unfaithful to me. I haven't given her reason to be. As my best friend, I need you to support me in my decision."_

"Dan," Blair tried again, cutting through the memory. "I really..."

His heart continued to insist that what she had to say would have nothing to do with ending their relationship or Chuck. His mind, however, was screaming for him to wake up from his idealistic thoughts. He ultimately chose to listen to his heart, interrupting her once more.

"Please?" he insisted, his face filled with anxiety.

Blair didn't have the heart to tell him about her and Chuck then, so she merely nodded her head as Dan put the blindfold over her eyes.

"Dan?" Blair asked uncertainly as she was guided out of the limo. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," he whispered as he led her into the restaurant.

He lifted off her blindfold moments later and Blair gasped at the scene before her. There was absolutely no one in the restaurant but them and the atmosphere was undeniably radiating with romance. A red tablecloth had been chosen for the table. Candles were lit all over the restaurant and there were even red rose petals adorning the floor. Blair wished Dan hasn't put so much thought into their anniversary date. It would have made what she was about to say so much easier.

"Dan," she reminded him. "You said I could say what I wanted to say the moment we got here."

Dan smiled and replied, "I know, but hang on for just _one_ more second alright?"

Before Blair could protest, he ran off into the kitchen, the swinging doors being the only sign that lingered of his recent presence. She wrung her hands in anticipation over his return as she went over her plan on how to break the news to Dan. When he finally did, he was followed by the entire kitchen staff, who set down a sea of delectable dishes before them. Blair felt guiltier and guiltier by the second. They were all of her favorite dishes.

Dan handed her the fifty red roses he held in his right hand and said, "These are for you and I actually prepared these dishes all on my own. I've been in that kitchen cooking since I got off my afternoon class, which is why I haven't been answering any of your calls. I made the hot dishes last of course and that's why I was rushing to get you here – because I didn't want the food to get cold. Oh and the _entire_ staff have tasted the food themselves and have given this meal their stamp of approval. I promise you that you won't get food poisoning of any sort and I also..."

"Dan," she tried adamantly to interrupt his rambling.

Dan always rambled when he was nervous and this made Blair feel even more sick at what she was about to do.

"Yeah, alright," he responded, finally taking his seat at the table after having pulled out her chair for her to be seated. "You're probably hungry. Happy anniversary Blair."

"Dan," she urged. "I _really_ need to talk to you."

He finally dug up the courage to look her in the eyes and nodded for her to proceed with what she had to say.

"Sure," he agreed. "I'm all ears. Is everything alright Blair? You look kind of pale."

"I'm fine," she managed to choke out. "Dan, I don't know how to say this and I'm sorry for bringing this up at a time like this, but I really don't think it's fair to you if I drag this on any longer."

"Are you breaking up with me?" Dan whispered in disbelief, uncontrollably voicing what the logic of his mind had been trying to convince him would happen all day. "Was it something I did? Was it something I said? Is it the food? It's the flowers, isn't it?"

He was rambling not because he thought it was actually any or all of those issues that had led her to break up with him. He just didn't want to hear her _real_ reasons for doing so afraid of what they might be. He feared that what Jenny had seen that morning was exactly what she had deduced it to be and that Vanessa had been right in advising him not to propel forward with his proposal tonight.

"Dan," she sighed. "Please."

He nodded and stopped talking, dreading for her to finish what she had to say. He had no idea how he would be able to handle it if he heard her mention _his_ name.

"Something has been going on between me and Chuck," she whispered truthfully, her head hung low in shame. "I'm sorry. I..."

She had said it. She had _finally_ said it and all Dan felt was the unexpected feeling of desperation coursing through his body. He was desperate to refute her confession. There _had_ to be some mistake. He was so distraught to finally hear it from _her_ that he just started offering the very excuses he had made for her in front of Jenny earlier in the day.

"Is it your mother?" Dan clarified. "Is it because she's been pressuring you to be with Chuck instead of me?"

"No," she told him. "It just happened Dan. I..."

He felt his heart shatter at her insistent words, but he stood by his theory. Blair loved him and he loved her. How could it be possible that she would willingly cheat on him and leave him like this?

"Blair," he said, taking her hand in his. "You don't have to lie to me. We can get through this together. We love each other. We can't let your mother tear us apart like this."

"Dan!" Blair shouted before lowering her voice once more. "What happened between me and Chuck had nothing to do with my mother."

"Then what happened Blair? How did we get to this place?" Dan asked restlessly.

His mind was spinning out of control. This _had_ to be a nightmare. He pinched himself to be sure, but found that the scene before him had failed to fade away.

"We just kissed a few times and I swear I wanted to tell you about each of those incidents, but I just..." she trailed off when she noticed Dan's eyes starting to glaze over in silent fury.

"You just _what_ Blair?" he spat.

Finally the anger had kicked in like it should have a long time ago.

"I'm sorry. One thing just led up to another and..." she started.

"Did you sleep with him?" Dan questioned, his eyes boring intently into hers.

She nodded numbly at him as Dan turned away from her to hide the tears that threatened to fall from his already glistening orbs.

"Yes," she whispered in verbal confirmation and Dan laughed at the irony of the situation.

That word was supposed to have made him the happiest man alive tonight and yet his whole world had just shattered at that very same word that had just escaped from her parted lips.

"Willingly?" he choked out.

That one last question represented the one last shred of hope within him that he could possibly salvage their relationship. If Chuck had forced himself on Blair, he would _kill_ him. She nodded again though to his dismay and he felt the ground beneath him give way under his heavy weight. Actually, he wished it had. He got up and started to walk away from her when he heard her calling his name.

"Dan," she reiterated for the millionth time. "I'm sorry."

He let out a pitiful laugh, but still refused to turn around and face her.

"You know Blair? I wanted to propose to you today. Even when Jenny told me about seeing you with Chuck this morning, I convinced myself that she was just seeing things. I booked the roof at Victrola and decorated it just like I had with this restaurant. I am _such_ an idiot! I even had a backup proposal plan just in case anything went wrong! Vanessa practically _told_ me I was being stupid for thinking otherwise, but I stood up for your character Blair. I stood up for _us_. I informed them both so _fucking_ confidently that you would _never_ cheat on me Blair; that we loved each other."

"Dan, I didn't mean for you to find out this way," Blair insisted, tears brimming in her own eyes.

She _did_ love Dan and seeing him so hurt broke her too.

"Right," he shot back sarcastically. "Because you tried _so_ hard to be honest with me Blair! Why _not_ have the best of both worlds, right? Have your doting boyfriend continue to act like an oblivious fool _and_ screw your hot detective on the side too! _Why the hell not?_"

"It wasn't like that Dan!" she yelled. "It just happened ok? You think I don't feel bad about this? I tried to ignore what I felt for Chuck because I thought it was a fluke too at first, but I just couldn't in the end. I didn't want to hurt you. I thought about telling you about us numerous times. I've been calling you all day to try and tell you the truth."

Dan remained silent and all that could be heard were the sounds of Blair's hitched breaths being fueled by her uncontrollable tears.

"We're done," he whispered harshly. "I _never_ want to see you again Blair."

With that, he stalked out of the restaurant as the staff continued to eavesdrop from behind the kitchen doors. _I never want to see you again Blair._ His words continued to echo through her mind and the truth was that she didn't blame him in the least bit. She was _such_ a hypocrite – in the same way that Chuck was. Maybe they _did_ deserve each other. She had hated Robert for cheating on her with Serena in high school. Blair had been adamant that there were absolutely _no_ excuses for cheating and then keeping it from your significant other. Yet here she was committing the very act that she had alienated Serena and Robert for.

She was _such_ a horrible person. What had Dan seen in her? What _did_ Chuck see in her? She glanced over at the plates of food before her that had yet to be removed and began to dig into their contents in a hurried effort to numb her pain. Bite after bite she dug her fork in. Bite after bite she had to force the food down. Bite after bite she felt more disgusting and she _was_. She was absolutely _disgusting_.

She ran into the bathroom and did the only thing she could. She stuck her finger down her throat repeatedly and was only satisfied when her stomach was entirely empty. Her cell phone began to ring relentlessly then. She stared at her sounding phone for a minute or two before she chose to ignore the call completely. Blair stood up from her position on the floor, steadying herself by placing a hand on the porcelain bowl, only to crumble soon after against the tiled floor.


	21. Pick Your Poison

**A/N:** A huge thank you to those of you who left me with a review on my last chapter. Your encouraging words really made me feel a hell of a whole lot more confident about my skills as a writer. Bonus points to those of you who figure out why this chapter might be relevant to the case. Otherwise, you'll find out in the next chapter. Please review!

**Pick Your Poison**

* * *

Dan fell back onto the seat and put his head in his hands. He fought hard to suppress the sobs that threatened to escape from the hollows of his throat.

"This isn't your fault Dan," Serena reiterated as she took the seat next to him.

She rested her hand lightly on his shoulder in a failed attempt to comfort him.

"It is!" Dan shouted a little louder than he had intended to as he jumped up from his seat.

"Excuse me sir," one of the nurses called out to him from her place behind the counter, interrupting their conversation. "Please keep your voice down. This is a hospital."

Dan blushed at his outburst and sat down once more, nodding his head slightly at the nurse in apology.

He then lowered his voice, turned back towards the blond, and enlightened her, "I said a lot of horrible things Serena. I even told her that I never wanted to see her again. If I hadn't been so harsh with my words, she wouldn't have..."

"Stop it Dan!" Serena hissed in a barely audible whisper. "Stop blaming yourself for this! You and I both know that Blair's had this condition since high school and the things you said to her were understandable considering the circumstances of the situation."

"She hasn't hurt herself like this in a long while Serena. You and I both know that as well," Dan reminded her. "And regardless of whether the things I said to her were appropriate or not, they still got to her. This is my fault Serena."

The blond bit her tongue to prevent herself from disagreeing with him again, although she truly believed that Blair hadn't been as affected by his words as Dan had led himself to believe. She knew the brunette well enough to know that she had probably relapsed because she was disgusted with herself after what she had done to Dan rather than because of what Dan had said to her. Even if his harsh words _had_ sent her over the edge, Chuck was to blame for this as well. He shouldn't have instigated something with Blair knowing full well that she had a boyfriend and Blair herself was to blame too since she should have had enough restraint not to cheat on Dan. Now wasn't the time to point fingers though at who was responsible for Blair's hospitalization and who wasn't. All Serena knew was that her best friend was currently unconscious a couple of rooms down and that a doctor was diligently running various tests to ensure that her vitals were stable in spite of her current passed out state. Dan had already informed the doctor of her condition, but he insisted on running some tests to access the damage that her body had suffered from her sudden relapse.

* * *

_Dan took a swig from the bottle of beer in his hand as he trudged home. He had decided to walk home to clear his head, although ironically, the alcohol was working to do just the opposite. He stumbled a bit in his movements as he neared The Palace, but stopped abruptly in his tracks when he noticed a sleek, black limo stationed not far from where he stood. It was hardly odd to find such a vehicle within the vicinity. However, the unpleasant vibes he was receiving from that general direction forced him to stay rooted to the ground. He rubbed his eyes lightly as his vision began to blur at the edges. A dark figure exited the vehicle and it took a few seconds for Dan to register exactly who the perpetrator was – Chuck Bass. Dan scoffed as he washed his disbelief down with another helping of the bitter brew. Chuck took a step in his direction before he swiveled around abruptly, having changed his mind about talking to the dark-haired boy after all._

"_Where do you think you're going?" Dan shouted at his retreating form._

_The brunette paused in his movements, turned around reluctantly, and answered, "I called Blair about half an hour ago and she failed to answer her phone. I figured she was headed home, but she has yet to make an appearance. I was wondering if you had any idea where she might be and I also wanted to apologize for taking Blair from you, but I can see that..."_

"_Oh, that's rich," Dan commented sarcastically, a darkness possessing his eyes._

"_Look, I know my apology doesn't mean much to you, especially not right now, but..." Chuck trailed off when he noticed a sudden negativity in the atmosphere that enveloped them._

_Dan pointed his empty beer bottle at the brunette menacingly and spat, "Why don't you take that apology of yours and shove it up your ass? As for that cold-hearted bitch of an ex-girlfriend of mine, I have no idea where the hell she might be."_

_Chuck remained calm as he took a few steps closer to the dark-haired boy. He opened his mouth to speak once more when Dan interrupted him, throwing a forceful punch at his right eye._

"_You took her virginity you son of a bitch!" Dan snarled as his fist connected with his face._

_Upon contact, Chuck crumbled instantly onto the sidewalk as his right eye exploded with an almost unbearable pain. He reached up to trace his injured eye to find a drop of blood on his finger. He hissed at the sensation of his throbbing eye as he tried to pick himself up off the ground. No sooner had he regained his composure than Dan slammed him ruthlessly against the side of his limo._

"_Dan, stop!" Serena cried in desperation as she ran across the street towards them._

_Nate and Serena had been strolling through the streets of Manhattan. He had walked her home in time for them to witness the scene that had unravelled before them. Nate struggled to pry Dan off of Chuck as the dark-haired boy tried frantically to maintain his grip on his target, who had made no attempt whatsoever to defend himself._

"_Let go of me!" Dan spat at the blond. "I'm not done with that asshole!"_

"_Let me take you home Dan," Serena cooed. "You're incredibly drunk right now. You can deal with him in the morning when you're sober alright?"_

_He stopped his struggling upon hearing her soothing voice and Serena signalled for Nate to let him go. The blond complied with her request and Dan subsequently stumbled into her arms._

"_Ok Serena," he hiccupped. "Ok."_

* * *

Chuck continued to pace back and forth in front of her room, mumbling incoherent sentences under his breath. The doctor had been in there for almost half an hour. What could possibly be taking him so long? He glanced briefly over at Dan and Serena, who were deep in conversation a few metres from where he was pacing tirelessly. Nate was cautious to place himself somewhere in between Dan and Chuck in case another fight broke out between the two, although in truth, it had been more of a one-sided fight. Chuck had remained motionless, readily prepared to take the abuse he knew he deserved. He reached up subconsciously to touch his swollen eye, eliciting a low growl from his lips at his own intrusion. He was too distraught over what had happened to Blair, however, to dwell on the pain. He had had no idea that she was bulimic and this made him feel all the more responsible for instigating a relationship between them.

"This is my fault," he whispered absentmindedly to no one in particular.

"Stop blaming yourself for what happened to Blair Chuck," Nate insisted from behind him.

Chuck whirled around to face his best friend as fresh tears threatened to make their mark on his chiselled face.

"It is my fault Nate," Chuck reiterated. "I knew Blair was off limits. I knew she had Dan."

"I know man," the blond assured him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You still can't blame yourself for what happened between you and Blair though Chuck. In your defence, she's the first girl you've ever cared about."

"That still doesn't justify what Blair and I did to Dan," Chuck answered bitterly.

"Well, I can't argue with you there," Nate agreed, allowing a tired sigh to escape from his lips.

"If I hadn't lured Blair into cheating on Dan with me, he would be the happiest man alive right now and as for Blair, she would be happily engaged," Chuck continued.

Nate shook his head to denounce his theory.

"You don't know that man," the blond insisted, reaching up subconsciously to fix his man bangs. "Look, I'm sure Blair will be fine. She just fainted from her relapse is all."

Chuck ignored his words and continued, "Instead, she felt so horrible about what she had done to Dan that she tried to purge the guilt from her system."

Nate wanted to refute his statement, but ultimately decided to simply walk away. He patted Chuck lightly on the back to signal his departure before walking over to Dan and Serena to see how they were holding up.

* * *

"_Dorota?" Serena spoke uncertainly into her phone. "What about Blair? Calm down Dorota. I can't understand a word you're saying."_

_Chuck stiffened at her words as Dan managed to sober up at a rather miraculous rate. Nate went over and stood next to Serena in a silent display of support for his girlfriend._

"_What happened?" Dan whispered impatiently, his head still pounding from the alcohol in his system._

_Chuck chose to remain silent, listening intently to what the blond was saying instead._

_Serena stole a nervous glance at them before she spoke into her phone one last time, "Thanks for letting me know Dorota. I'm on my way right now. Don't worry. Blair will be fine."_

"_What happened?" Chuck echoed Dan's earlier question the moment Serena had hung up on her end of the line._

"_Blair had a relapse and she fainted. She was found unconscious on the bathroom floor at some restaurant. According to Dorota, Blair is still unconscious. The doctor is with her right now though to ensure that her vitals are stable. Cyrus and Aaron are there as well," she answered. "We have to get to the hospital immediately."_

"_We can take my limo," Chuck suggested straight away._

_Dan whirled around to face the brunette upon hearing his offer and opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly decided not to voice his thoughts. All that mattered right now was that Blair was ok. The four of them climbed into the waiting vehicle without so much as a sound until one of their phones began to ring insistently. Dan traced the noise to his phone and answered the call. It was Vanessa._

* * *

Vanessa sprinted over to Dan the moment she had pinned down his location.

"Dan! I got here as fast as I could," she told him breathlessly. "Jenny insisted that she come with me after she overheard our conversation on the phone earlier. She went down to grab a bite to eat with Dorota at the cafeteria. Has Blair woken up yet?"

Dan shook his head grimly in her direction as Serena answered, "No, but she'll be fine."

Vanessa nodded and clarified, "Is the doctor still in there with her right now?"

"Yeah," Serena answered as the raven-haired girl took notice of Chuck pacing a short distance away.

She turned to face her best friend and accused him, "You never told me Chuck was here."

Dan sighed as he stood up from his seat,

"Nate is here as well," he informed her. "He went down to the cafeteria for a coffee run about five minutes ago. You probably missed each other by a minute or two."

Vanessa could feel her heart breaking at the lifeless tone of his voice. She knew that Dan was probably blaming himself for what had happened to Blair. She was here for support, but she could tell that all he needed right now was to be alone.

"You know what?" she suggested. "I think I'm going to head down to the cafeteria to check up on everyone. Cyrus and Aaron are also there I believe. Nate might need some help with his coffee run as well."

Serena stood up immediately and volunteered, "I can go Vanessa. Why don't you stay right here with Dan?"

She hurried off before Vanessa could protest. The raven-haired girl reluctantly took a seat next to her best friend, careful to remain silent until he chose to speak. She could tell that he was consumed by his thoughts. After a prolonged silence, she decided it was time to speak up.

"Dan, you can talk to me," she reminded him warily as she tilted her head to look at him.

Dan crinkled him nose in consideration over whether or not he should confide in her about what had transpired between him and Serena. He let out a frustrated sigh, but ultimately spilled the beans to his best friend. After all, if not to her, then who else?

"When we arrived at the hospital," Dan started. "Chuck and Nate stepped out of the limo first."

Vanessa was confused as to why Dan was thinking about Chuck and Nate, but nodded her head for him to continue. She bit her lower lip in a reminder to herself to keep quiet until he was finished voicing his thoughts.

"Serena was next and I was prepared to climb out after her, but she forgot her purse," he continued. "She whirled around suddenly to reach for it right when I was attempting to leave the limo and somehow our lips met."

Vanessa gasped at the news, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"You and Serena _kissed_?" she hissed in complete shock.

"It was hardly a kiss," Dan muttered. "Her lips simply happened to brush ever so lightly across my own."

"And you happen to be dwelling on this accidental kiss instead of a certain brunette _because_...?" Vanessa trailed off, waiting for him to finish her thoughts.

"Because I'm trying to forget the image of my ex-girlfriend lying motionless in a hospital bed because of me," he snapped at her.

"Dan, this is not your fault," Vanessa insisted, ignoring the abrasive tone of his voice.

The dark-haired boy apologized for his clipped tone and sighed, "I was such a fool. You and Jenny warned me about her infidelity and I still managed to convince myself to go through with the proposal. I was in denial Vanessa. If I had merely listened to you and Jenny, the break-up would have been less emotional; less painful. Instead, I was so blinded by my own idealistic thoughts that I completely snapped when I was finally forced to face my reality."

"Did you feel anything?" Vanessa asked abruptly in a desperate attempt to take his mind off of Blair.

She could understand why he was trying to focus on his accidental kiss with Serena instead.

"_What?_" Dan responded before he realized what she was referring to. "Oh. Much to my surprise, no. That accidental kiss was nothing short of awkward."

"Oh," Vanessa remarked, masking the utter happiness she felt on the inside.

"Yeah," Dan answered as a chuckle escaped from his lips. "_Oh._"

* * *

"We have coffee!" Serena announced cheerfully upon her return.

The blond handed Dan and Vanessa their coffees as Nate strode over to present his best friend with the beverage. Chuck shook his head upon seeing the container he held in his hand, but Nate forced him to take it anyway. He knew Chuck preferred his scotch, but they had to make do with what they had for now.

"Thanks," Chuck mumbled eventually.

Nate nodded just as the door behind him swung open. The doctor stepped out with a report in his hand. A nurse bustled out from behind him, giving a slight nod to the group that had gathered in front of the doctor to find out how Blair was doing.

"Miss Waldorf will be fine," the doctor revealed as a chorus of relieved sighs were heard in the background. "She has woken up, but her body is very weak at the moment. She will need some rest. The irony of the situation is that she was very lucky to have purged most of the food that she had consumed from her stomach."

"Did she not faint because of her condition Dr. Parsons?" Dan asked, his forehead creased in confusion.

"Yes, she did, but according to the test results I hold in my hand, she also has a mild case of Clostridium perfringens food poisoning," the doctor answered as he reached up to readjust his glasses. "She may experience nausea and diarrhoea later on in the night, but it's nothing to be concerned about."

"Does she need any medication?" Serena clarified with the doctor.

He chuckled before he responded, "No. In fact, the bacteria have no effect on some folks. Even if Miss Waldorf does experience the symptoms of Clostridium perfringens food poisoning, she should be as good as new in no more than twenty four hours."

Serena thanked the doctor as Chuck and Dan both reached for the door handle only to be stopped in their tracks by Dr. Parsons.

"I'm afraid the patient has requested to see only a Mr. Dan Humphrey," he apologized.

Dejected, Chuck took a step back from where he was standing as Nate put a hand firmly on his shoulder in support. Dan stepped into the room with a nod of encouragement from Vanessa and Serena offered to head down to the cafeteria to tell the others of the news.

* * *

"How are you feeling Blair?" Dan asked in concern as he took the seat next to her bed.

"Dan," she started in a barely audible whisper.

He shook his head to ward off the apology that was about to escape from her parted lips.

"I said some pretty horrible things to you Blair," he reminded her. "You wouldn't have..."

"Stop it," she chided him, covering his hand with her own. "You know this isn't your fault. I just felt so terrible for what I did to you Dan. I needed to..."

"I'm sorry anyway," he murmured as he placed a comforting kiss on her forehead. "After all, I was the one who prepared the food that gave you Clostridium perfringens food poisoning as mild as it is and although a broken heart sucks pretty bad, at least I won't get diarrhoea later. The feeling nauseous part though? I think I've got covered."

Even though Dan was attempting to lighten the atmosphere, the effect of his words did exactly the opposite. Blair bit her lower lip in thought over what she could say to make things better between them.

"Blair, we can still be friends," he told her. "I'll always love you. I mean, I'll need my space for a little while, but I can't stay mad at you forever."

Blair smiled weakly at him in response as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Thanks Dan," she whispered, enveloping him into a tight hug. "I'll always love you too. I guess me being hospitalized wasn't such a bad thing, huh?"

Dan pulled back in confusion and wondered, "What do you mean?"

"You said you never wanted to see me again, remember?" Blair asked in an attempt to jolt his memory.

"I didn't mean that," he shot back immediately. "And even if I _did_ Blair, I believe the worry that I had for your well-being overshadowed the resentment in me."

An awkward silence fell between them then and the brunette was smart enough to know not to push the conversation. She was teetering on a thin line with Dan as it were and if she wanted to maintain her friendship with him at the very least, she needed to give him his space. Dan knew what she was thinking in her silence and gratefully took a step towards the door. Despite the fact that he had made peace with her, he was still hurt from their break-up. He turned back one last time to address her.

"Blair? I thought you should know that Chuck is waiting outside to see you," he informed her.

Blair lifted her eyes to meet his own, but remained unresponsive to his words.

"I can see that he really cares about you Blair," he continued. "It's a good thing though because if he were to ever break your heart, I'd have to punch out his left eye as well."

"You _punched_ him?" Blair asked in disbelief, finally opening her mouth to speak.

Dan shrugged and answered, "I was completely inebriated and he really didn't understand that I wasn't quite ready for his apology."

"I told him to give you your space!" Blair protested, her lips in a delectable pout.

Dan laughed before walking out of the room, "Men can be awfully pig-headed Blair. Take care of yourself."

* * *

Serena had come in to see her after Dan had left as did Cyrus and Aaron. Vanessa, Nate, and Jenny expressed their concerns as well and Dorota scolded her in Polish for a good ten minutes. Her mother had even called from France to ask how she was doing. Eventually, the commotion died down and there was only one person she had left to see. He was the _only_ one she truly wanted to see because she knew he was probably blaming himself for all of this.

"Chuck?" she called out for him as the group sauntered out of her room.

He came in a few moments later and the redness that lingered in his eyes told her that he had been crying. Her heart fluttered in realization over how much he really did care for her and she motioned for him to come closer to her side.

"Hey," he whispered as he took the seat next to her bed. "Are you feeling ok?"

"I should be asking you that question," she answered, reaching out to touch his swollen eye.

He hissed upon contact and took her hand in his to relieve the pain.

"I'm fine Waldorf," he assured her. "It was nothing I didn't deserve."

Blair smiled at him and said, "Well, Dan plans to take out your other eye as well if you don't treat me right. He told me so himself."

Chuck smirked and went along with her attempt to lighten the mood of the conversation.

"Not if you get to it first sweetheart," he retorted, winking at her with his good eye.

"True," Blair agreed as she let out a dramatic sigh. "I'd prefer using castration as punishment though."

Chuck cringed before he replied, "Lucky for me then that I don't plan to hurt you. _Ever._"

"Good," she whispered as she leaned in to give him a kiss.

Her stomach gurgled as they broke apart and she groaned at the stirring sensation in her abdomen as she made her way into the bathroom.

"You should go Chuck," she told him. "This could last all night and you have work in the morning."

"You're not getting rid of me _that_ easily Waldorf," he responded. "I'll stay up with you all night if I have to."

"Suit yourself Bass, but don't whine to me when you're bored to death," she called out from the bathroom.

Chuck laughed and assured her, "I'll be fine. Eric was kind enough to drop off some reading material for me. I'll even read to you Waldorf."

Blair started to whimper in pain as Chuck flipped the novel open to reveal the first page.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," Chuck read. "However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters."

Despite the discomfort she was experiencing at that very moment, a tiny smile escaped from her lips as Chuck continued to read one of her favourite novels for the first time, Pride and Prejudice.


	22. Double Threat

**A/N:** For the record, I do read and appreciate all the reviews I receive. Unfortunately, I cannot reply to anonymous ones. Thank you for reviewing though and I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

**Double Threat**

* * *

Blair settled into the bathtub and let out a contented sigh as the hot water hugged the curves of her tired body. It was good to be home. The doctor had finally given her the green light to return home this morning and needless to say, she had been over the moon. She had spent most of the night sitting on a less than comfortable toilet seat or sleeping on a less than comfortable hospital bed. Chuck had been amazingly attentive to her needs though. He had refused to leave her side and only dared to doze off when she did.

When she had awaken this morning, he had insisted he take her home first before heading off to work and he called her basically every hour or so to make sure she was doing ok. Her cell phone began to ring insistently then and she shook her head in amusement as a tiny smile escaped from her lips. He was right on schedule. She reached out to grab her cell phone and set it on speaker before putting it back on the marble surface.

"Hello?" she spoke up, although she knew who was on the other end of the line.

"Blair, how are you feeling?" Chuck asked, his voice filled with concern.

Blair rolled her eyes at the question she knew she would probably hear at least a trillion times over before the day ended.

"Chuck, I was _fine_ when you dropped me off this morning. I was _fine_ when you called me one hour later. I was _fine_ when you called me one hour _ago_ and I am most certainly _fine_ now," she teased him.

"Oh I'm sorry for caring so much Waldorf. Maybe I shouldn't," he shot back.

"But you do," she reminded him, a smug smile etched upon her pink lips.

"You'll be the death of me," he muttered under his breath and Blair could almost picture the frustrated expression currently gracing his defined features.

"It's a good way to go," she answered cockily as she continued to soak in a pool of absolute bliss. "Any new developments on the case by the way even though your answer's been _no_ for the past two phone calls?"

"Actually, _yes_," Chuck told her. "Janice has confirmed that the blond hair we found at the scene of the crime was indeed Serena's."

"That still doesn't mean she did it," Blair insisted. "She could have just been there at some point in time, you know?"

"I know," Chuck assured her. "I still need to bring her in for questioning though. I've been putting it off for long enough."

"I'll do it," Blair offered a little too quickly.

Chuck let out a throaty laugh in response.

"I'm still the professional here Blair. You're not authorized to officially question _anyone_ who is a suspect in this case," he reminded her.

"I know, but let me do it _informally_ Chuck," she urged.

"What difference will it make Blair?" he wondered. "I'm not _arresting_ her. I'm just asking her a few questions. Besides, if she's innocent, she's innocent. If she's not, she's not. Whether I'm questioning her or you're questioning her, formally or informally, _doesn't_ change that."

"Please Chuck?" she pleaded with him, her lips in a pout even though he wouldn't be able to see it. "I just think Serena would be more willing to open up to _me_. I know her character. She probably won't tell you a thing."

"Oh she'll have spilled everything by the time _I'm_ through with questioning her," he assured her. "I'm quite intimidating you know. I leave them quivering in fear _every single_ time."

"Ha!" Blair scoffed in disbelief. "I didn't even bat an eyelash when you questioned me that night Bass."

"You seem to be the exception to everything Waldorf," he mused. "Although I _do_ believe you were a bit _flustered_ from our encounter."

"Come on Chuck," she urged once more as her cheeks flushed red at his reminder. "Let me question her. I'll do it tomorrow night at the costume party! She'll probably even be drunk! Think of it as a bonus!"

"Fine Waldorf," Chuck relented. "But if nothing comes out of your questioning, I'm bringing her in."

"Deal," she agreed quickly, patting herself mentally on the back for her small victory.

"Listen Blair," he started after a moment of brief silence. "I have to go. Stay out of trouble. I'll call you later and don't you _dare_ leave the house today. The doctor said you needed your rest."

"Yes _mother_," she drawled sarcastically before bidding him goodbye and hanging up the phone.

Blair sighed and closed her eyes then, allowing the feel of the hot water against her skin to numb her senses once more. About five minutes after talking to Chuck, however, her cell phone began to ring insistently again. Blair groaned in frustration as she reached out to address the persisting annoyance. Couldn't a girl soak in her bathtub in peace?

"Chuck," she spoke into her phone. "It's barely been five minutes. I'm _fine_."

But instead of hearing Chuck's voice like she had expected, there was an eerie silence on the other end of the line before an electronic voice spoke out to her.

"Did you enjoy your bout of food poisoning last night Miss Waldorf?" the voice asked her.

"What?" she clarified, suddenly very much alert. "Who is this?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," the voice continued before letting out a creepy laugh.

"You tried to kill me last night!" Blair accused him or her.

It was hard to detect the gender of the caller when he or she was evidently using a voice changer.

"Don't be ridiculous! Few people have died from Clostridium perfringens food poisoning. Unfortunately for _you_, that was just a _taste_ of what I'm capable of doing," the voice answered. "You'd be smart not to investigate Pete's murder anymore Miss Waldorf. Remember, I know where you live."

"Who the hell are you?" Blair shouted frantically into her phone, although it was obvious the caller wouldn't be revealing their identity to her.

The monotonous beeping of the dial tone sounded in lieu of the electronic voice that Blair had been hoping to hear and she dropped the device into the water in absolute shock over the call she had just received.

* * *

Blair walked nervously into the building and instantly spotted the overeager intern, Daryl.

"Hey Daryl," she greeted him as she approached the boy. "Is Chuck here? I tried calling him before I came, but I got the busy signal."

Daryl smiled politely at the brunette and said, "Yeah, he's in. His office is down the hall. It's the last room on your left."

"Thanks," Blair told him gratefully as she made her way towards her destination.

She knocked lightly on the barrier, hoping that she wouldn't be interrupting anything too important.

"Come in," he answered and she opened the door in response.

Chuck looked up at the intruder from his desk and upon noticing that said intruder was his girlfriend, jumped up almost immediately from where he was seated and rushed over to her side.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling ok? Didn't I tell you to stay in bed Waldorf?" he rambled on.

"Chuck," she stopped him, placing a hand lightly on his chest. "I'm fine and you did, but there _is_ something wrong. It's super important or I wouldn't be here. I called, but you're line was busy."

He observed her closely, his eyes filled with concern, before offering her a seat.

"What's wrong Blair?" he reiterated, placing a hand firmly over hers.

The brunette took a deep breath before filling him in on what had transpired earlier.

"I got a call right after you called me," she started hesitantly. "I thought it was you again at first, but it wasn't."

Chuck could see a tiny flicker of fear dance across her eyes and he instantly held her hand even tighter in his own.

"Who was it?" he urged her on.

Blair shook her head and said truthfully, "I don't know. They were using a voice changer."

"Ok and what did they say to you Blair?" he pressed forward.

"He or she basically threatened to kill me if I didn't stop investigating Pete's murder," she informed him.

"_What?_" Chuck clarified in absolute shock. "What did they say _exactly_ Blair? Don't leave out any details."

"I don't remember what they said _exactly_!" Blair protested, getting slightly irritated with his continuous questions.

"Try baby," he pleaded with her, brushing his thumb lightly across her knuckles in encouragement.

Blair pursed her lips in thought at his plea before she finally told him, "Well, the caller admitted to poisoning me. They asked me if I enjoyed the food poisoning I got last night to be exact."

"Wait, they admitted to _poisoning_ you?" Chuck asked in alarm. "Hold on."

He moved his hand from hers momentarily and retrieved his cell phone from his pocket, punching in the necessary numbers after he had done so.

"Nathaniel," he greeted his best friend the moment he had answered his call. "Where are you man?"

He waited for Nate's answer before continuing.

"Ok. Well, listen. I need you to stop by the restaurant that Dan and Blair were at last night as soon as you can. It seems that Blair's episode of food poisoning was intentional," he updated the blond. "I'll go into the details with you later."

Another pause.

"Thanks man. Just see what you can find. I'll meet up with you when I can," he assured him before hanging up and gearing his attention back towards his girlfriend.

Chuck took her hand in his once more and motioned for her to continue.

"I _really_ don't remember exactly what they said Chuck," Blair stressed. "It was just basically a threat to get me to back off. They demanded that I stop investigating the case and said something about knowing where I live."

Chuck put his head in his hands in evident worry, taking a deep breath before he could bring himself to look up at her again.

"Give me your phone Blair," he demanded, reaching out his hand to receive the device.

"Why?" she questioned curiously, although she did as she was told.

"I'm going to get Daryl to try and trace the call," he explained. "The suspect was probably smart enough to use a payphone or something, but it's worth a shot."

Blair nodded as he continued.

"I'm going to track down this scumbag Blair," he promised her, resting a hand gently on the curve of her cheek. "Nate will help, but I need _you_ to stay off the case until then, alright? Can you do that for me?"

Blair shook her head and turned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest in blatant defiance.

"Absolutely not Bass," she announced, standing firm. "I want to track the scumbag down myself more than ever now. _Nobody_ scares Blair Waldorf off. _Nobody_ tells _me_ what to do."

"Blair, are you insane?" he shouted as he started to pace around the room in exasperation. "A murderer just threatened you with your _life_! I think we _both_ know exactly how capable he or she is or is the image of Pete's corpse no longer burned into the back of your brain?"

"I know I'm taking a huge risk here Chuck!" she shot back. "But we _must_ be getting close to revealing their identity if they..."

"This is _non-negotiable_ Waldorf," Chuck told her calmly, although his eyes were blazing with a level of determination that Blair had never witnessed before.

The brunette held his gaze steadily with a level of intensity that certainly rivaled his own.

She only tore her eyes away from his when he seethed, "So help me God Blair. I will _chain_ you to your bed with my _handcuffs_ if you disobey me. This is _non-negotiable_. This is an _order_."

"Handcuffs Bass?" she scoffed as she stood up to leave. "Kinky."

"Blair," he muttered, grabbing her arm before she made her exit.

She stopped in her tracks at his touch, but refused to turn around to address him.

"I just don't want to lose you," he confessed, stuttering slightly over his words.

She swiveled around then to face him and allowed herself to be pulled into his waiting arms. He rested his chin tenderly on her forehead as she nodded against his chest.

"Ok Chuck," she promised him. "I'll stay off the case."

"Thank you," he responded gratefully as she began to pull away from their embrace.

She continued her trek out the door and swiftly left his office as her guilt slowly started to consume her. Blair felt horrible that she had outright lied to him just now, but he had been awfully persistent and there was no way in _hell_ she was about to let the scumbag walk away for not only murder, but attempted murder. The perpetrator had even had the nerve to threaten her with her _life_. This case was now _officially_ personal.

* * *

"You wanted to see me detective?" the redhead asked as she entered the room.

Chuck had summoned Gina into his office the moment Blair had left. He knew she was the right woman for the job. Stealth was her middle name – not literally of course.

"Follow her," he ordered. "I want to know where she is and what she's doing at all times Gina."

The redhead laughed and teased him, "You think she's cheating on you or something boss?"

He sent her a hard glare and answered, "This is serious Gina and don't pretend like Amanda didn't just eavesdrop on the entire conversation between me and my girlfriend and then relay all the juicy details to all of you."

"Girlfriend, huh?" Gina mocked him once more before getting serious. "I'll follow her no problem, but didn't she already promise you she would stay off the case?"

Chuck let out a sarcastic laugh in response.

"You don't know her like I do," he informed her. "And besides, her eyes were doing that thing where they don't match her mouth."

"I'll keep you updated," Gina assured him as she let out an amused laugh of her own.

She walked towards the door and prepared to leave when Chuck added, "And I am giving you _full_ authorization to kill any immediate threats in her vicinity Gina."

"Whatever you say detective," she answered, patting her gun down for the extra emphasis.

The redhead swiveled around to make her exit, but tilted her head in his direction to address him one last time.

"She's the one, isn't she?" Gina observed as her lips curled into a knowing smile.

Chuck answered her question with a curt nod in lieu of an actual response and she was wise to take it as a sign of absolute dismissal.

* * *

"The Palace Hotel," Blair informed the taxi driver as she climbed into the waiting cab.

"Yes ma'am," he answered as he started the vehicle.

Blair leaned back into her seat as she pondered over her unfortunate episode of food poisoning last night. She should have known that someone had planned for it to happen on purpose. She recalled that Dan had mentioned that the entire staff had tasted the food he had cooked for her beforehand. Yet, none of them had contracted Clostridium perfringens food poisoning. The suspect must have sneaked into the kitchen sometime after the tasting to put their plan into motion.

Although she desperately wanted to join Nate at the restaurant to look for clues, she knew Chuck would be meeting up with him soon. He would be furious if he found out that she had broken her promise to him. She had no choice but to continue her investigation elsewhere and even then, she would need to be discrete.

Blair had reasoned long ago that the murderer was an expert on The Palace Hotel. Not only had he or she disabled the key card system with expertise, but the culprit had also been able to override the security system _and_ slip in and out of the premises undetected. Blair deduced at the moment that the murderer was either a current or former employee at the hotel or had simply passed themselves off as such. It would certainly warrant the amount of knowledge that the suspect had had of the establishment and who would possibly find a hotel employee out of place in a hotel?

Although there was a chance that the suspect was neither a current nor former employee of the hotel, it was definitely worth a shot to take a peek into the employment records at The Palace. Who knows? She might unearth some names of interest. With that encouraging thought in mind, she handed the taxi driver various bills and stepped out of the stationary vehicle, making her way towards the doors.

* * *

Gina dialed for Chuck the moment she witnessed Blair enter The Palace Hotel wearing her disguise. He answered her call on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" he spoke into his phone.

"Gina here," she informed him. "Your girlfriend waltzed into The Palace Hotel about five seconds ago in disguise. She looks cute as a blond burlesque dancer by the way."

"_What?_" Chuck seethed. "For the sake of your career Richardson, you _better_ be following her at this moment _as we speak_."

"I am," Gina assured him. "Are you at the restaurant with Detective Archibald right now?"

"Nah," he answered. "I was about to meet up with him, but he called and insisted that he had the premises covered."

"Blair is flirting with one of the employees right now," Gina interrupted him. "What do you want me to do?"

"Kill him and anyone else who so much as blinks in her direction," he commanded in a stern tone.

"I do hope you're joking detective," Gina commented. "Anyway, they're headed over to one of the ballrooms right now. I've got to go. I'll keep you posted."

"Sounds good Gina," he replied. "Stay on her."

Chuck let out a frustrated sigh as the dial tone began to sound in his ear. He knew Blair was stubborn, but she was _really_ pushing his buttons here. He had reasoned, however, that it would probably be best to let her continue her investigation. After all, Blair didn't have to know that he had sent Gina to protect her.

* * *

Blair strode into the hotel with her head held high. She secured the feather boa in her hands and approached the front desk.

"Excuse me," she purred at the present employee.

The brunette took in her outfit and asked, "Miss Burnett? Miss Isabelle Burnett?"

"That would be me!" Blair answered cheerfully.

"The other burlesque dancers arrived almost an hour ago," he chided her.

"Oh darling!" she drawled, resting her hand on his arm. "Traffic was _terrible_!"

He rolled his eyes at her and motioned for her to follow him as another employee took his seat at the desk until his return. Blair followed close behind him, salivating over the access card that hung from his neck. She would need it to access the employment records. He led her backstage and Blair took the opportunity to trip then and fell flush against him. He attempted to keep their balance, but was unsuccessful. He fell to the floor with Blair in his arms.

"Oops!" Blair excused herself as the employee grunted in pain. "I blame the alcohol."

He pushed her off of him and stood to help her up.

Blair placed a hand on his chest and whispered, "You are _such_ a gentleman. Thank you dearly."

He smiled at her as he headed onto the stage to announce her presence. Blair returned his smile as she fingered the access card she now held in her closed hand. It had been a cinch. She headed towards the exit as a beautiful woman bustled past her to join the other burlesque dancers on stage. Blair was certain that _she_ was the real Isabelle Burnett.

Blair made her exit then knowing full well that the employee would be onto her in mere seconds. She entered the nearest restroom and traded in her current outfit for the employee uniform she had Jenny sew for her earlier. The staff would be on the lookout for a drunk blond after all. Blair trusted that Jenny was not the murderer and the blond had been more than willing to help with catching the culprit.

She walked out of the bathroom with confidence after she was in her employee uniform and took the elevator down to the basement of the hotel. A few compliments and Daryl had revealed the location of the employee records she needed. Blair slid the access card through the card reader and let out a relieved sigh when she heard a small beep of approval. She opened the door cautiously and slipped inside the dark room. She retrieved a small flashlight from her purse and assessed her surroundings.

She found the computer that Daryl had mentioned in the corner of the room and quickly booted the device, careful to keep her ears peeled for the unwelcome sound of approaching footsteps. The brunette printed out four years worth of employee records for now and stashed them into her purse. She made sure to shut down the computer before cautiously stepping back out into the open. She removed her employee uniform with expertise and strutted into the lobby wearing her own clothes. She patted the papers in her purse down as she walked past the employee who was now telling his superior how some drunk blond had stolen his access pass. The brunette let out a satisfied smirk as she stepped onto the sidewalk. She was _damn_ good.

* * *

Blair walked into her penthouse with a huge grin on her face. Today had been a good day. Now all she had to do was rifle through the information she had gathered. However, she had promised Dorota she would help the maid with dinner first, since her mother was coming home from France tonight. A few hours later, Blair flopped onto her bed in exhaustion. She had been unable to return to her room the entire time.

Chuck had joined them for dinner and needless to say, her mother had been thrilled to hear that she and Dan had broken up and that she was now dating a detective. She had managed to convince Chuck that she had been on her best behaviour today as well, but regardless of how exhausted she was, she was glad she now had the opportunity to look through all of the data she had collected.

She reached into her purse and pulled out the stack of papers. She rifled through them without a sound when she noticed suddenly that the employee records she had printed out from two years ago had disappeared. In its place were a handwritten note and a picture of her walking out of The Palace Hotel. Her face had been scratched out beyond recognition and Blair gasped in shock over her newfound discovery. She picked up her cell phone to call Chuck when she thought better of it and called Nate instead.

_**This is your final warning Blair Cornelia Waldorf. I am licensed to kill.**_


	23. Without A Trace

**A/N:** This is clearly a filler chapter, but the costume party sounds like a blast already, yes?

**Without A Trace**

* * *

Blair breathed a sigh of relief when spotted Nate walking into the penthouse towards her.

"I got here as soon as I could," he told her breathlessly as he approached her. "Don't worry. Chuck doesn't know I'm here. I didn't tell him a thing."

The brunette smiled at him gratefully and was touched that he had made it a point to come over here as soon as possible. Serena had certainly picked a winner in spite of the fact that Blair personally found him to be quite dull. She motioned for him to take a seat on the couch and he did so gratefully as he tried to regain his steady breathing.

"We have to be quiet," Blair informed him, bringing her index finger to lips for emphasis. "Everyone is sleeping."

"No problem," Nate whispered as he opened and held out the clear evidence bag to her.

Blair automatically reached for the threatening message and the photo she had placed on the side table with her gloved hand and placed the items carefully into the bag. Nate sealed the bag immediately and set it aside before turning around to face her once more.

"Did you touch the message or the photo at all?" Nate clarified.

"No, I don't think so," Blair insisted. "I was smart enough not to touch either item. I told you I merely noticed them in between two sets of employee records as I was rummaging through the stack of papers. I just put on the glove after I called you to bring the items down here is all. I figured it would be the best thing to do."

"Right," Nate agreed, pressing his lips together in thought. "You mentioned that the employee records from two years ago were missing, right?"

"Right," Blair echoed as she tucked a loose chocolate curl behind her right ear.

"Well, I'll definitely head over to The Palace in the morning and print out another set of those employee records," Nate assured her. "But I have a strong hunch that the culprit was smart enough to get rid of all existing copies. He or she has been nothing less than persistent about keeping their identity hidden."

"Evidently," Blair concurred, her face falling slightly in disappointment.

"I'll go and check it out tomorrow anyway," the blond promised her upon witnessing her dejected expression. "Now, may I ask why you don't want Chuck to know about any of this? He's your boyfriend Blair."

Blair smiled weakly at him in response and offered, "Because I promised him I would stay off the case this afternoon?"

Nate chuckled then and nodded in full understanding. Chuck would definitely not be pleased to know that not only did Blair disobey him, but here she was getting herself into even more trouble.

"Well, I think that's all I can really do for now Blair. I'll run these items through some tests in the lab as soon as I can and head over to The Palace in the morning as well."

Blair opened her mouth to speak, when Nate interrupted her, knowing full well what she wanted to make him promise.

"Yes, Blair. I'll make sure to keep all of this a secret from Chuck, alright?"

"Thank you," Blair told him gratefully as a relieved sigh escaped from her parted lips. "Will you let me know if you manage to get a copy of the employee records from that year as well? I mean, if it's not too much to ask."

He scrutinized her with skepticism before he finally answered, "Sure Blair."

Nate stood up to leave and the brunette followed closely behind him, making it a point to walk him to the elevator.

"Oh Blair," Nate addressed her one last time as he held the elevator doors open. "I have to agree with Chuck. You should stay off the case for your own good and leave it to the professionals. This murderer seems quite serious about getting rid of you."

"I know. Thanks Nate – for everything," she reiterated as he disappeared behind the closing doors.

* * *

Blair slipped on her nightgown and was prepared to climb into bed for her beauty rest when her cell began to vibrate. She let out a frustrated groan as she answered the insistent device, slightly afraid that she would be greeted by a creepy, electronic voice.

"Hello?" she stuttered into her phone.

"Blair," Chuck greeted her, his voice cold and impersonal. "What are you doing right now?"

The brunette twirled a strand of her hair around her finger nervously, getting the feeling that Chuck actually knew that she had been investigating the case today.

"Talking to you on the phone of course," she answered smoothly.

"What were you doing before you answered my call Blair," Chuck clarified for her, clearly not in the mood for her games.

"I was fast asleep," Blair assured him, although the barely noticeable squeak in her voice gave her away.

"Oh really?" Chuck challenged her. "And pray tell oh honest girlfriend of mine, what was Nate doing in your penthouse for the last half hour? Watching you sleep?"

"Are you stalking me Bass?" Blair shrieked before lowering her voice once more.

"Well, Gina was earlier, but for some unfathomable reason, she lost you somewhere in between one of your quick little costume changes," he explained to her calmly. "Naturally, for fear of your life, I had to take over."

"You hired someone to _follow_ me?" Blair seethed in absolute disbelief.

"Don't be ridiculous Blair," he chided her. "She works for the department."

"You know what I mean," Blair spat.

"I know you better than I know myself," he said simply. "You were flat out lying to my face when you made that little promise of yours this afternoon Blair. Your eyes were doing that thing where they don't match your mouth."

"Why didn't you just follow through with your threat then and handcuff me to my bed Bass?" Blair questioned. "Answer me that."

"Tempted to Waldorf, but I also happen to know how stubborn you are," he revealed. "In the end, I figured that as long as Gina was there to protect you at the very least, then it would be safe to let you continue snooping around. Evidently, I was wrong."

"I have no idea what you mean by that," she told him, feigning ignorance.

Chuck let out a sarcastic laugh and scoffed, "Please! You must have received another threat from that scumbag to have called Nate up. I _beg_ you to tell me I'm wrong Blair."

A moment of silence ensued to confirm his suspicion. He sighed in frustration before confronting her.

"Why did you have to be so persistent Blair?" he asked her. "I told you to stay off the case for your own good!"

She remained silent once more and Chuck muttered a string of curses under his breath because he knew what she wanted. After being threatened two times, she _still_ wanted to continue on with the investigation. She was giving a whole new definition to the word stubborn.

"Chuck," Blair whined into the phone and he could already picture her perfect pout.

"There are conditions Blair," Chuck started, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

"What conditions?" she questioned warily.

"When you partake in any case related activities, I will be present Blair," he told her. "And Gina will be keeping an eye on you if I am somehow unable to do so when you aren't. Am I understood?"

"Yes," Blair mumbled, although it was evident that she was none too happy with the conditions he had set.

"Good," he responded, ignoring her obvious dissatisfaction with his conditions. "And for the record Waldorf, I'm none too thrilled about having to camp out in front of your building every night until this case is over."

"_What?_" the brunette clarified. "Why do you have to do that?"

"Because the murderer might be tempted to kill you in your sleep and Gina refuses to take on the responsibility?" he stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You won't be getting any sleep then Chuck," she reminded him, concern laced in her voice.

"Thank you for stating the obvious Blair," Chuck answered. "Just go to sleep now, will you?"

"Goodnight Chuck," she whispered before she hung up the phone.

"Goodnight Blair," he murmured in return before doing the same.

The brunette peered out the window then to observe his surroundings. When he was thoroughly convinced that there were no threats in the vicinity at that particular moment, he leaned back into his seat and relaxed as best he could. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Chuck woke up to the sound of repeated knocks on his car window. He opened his eyes slowly to find Blair standing outside the barrier.

"Shit!" he shouted, jumping up from his seat and inevitably hitting his head against the roof of his car.

He massaged his head to ease the pain as he stepped out of the vehicle. He scowled at Blair, her giggles violating the quiet of the morning.

"Are you ok?" she asked him in concern, trying hard to suppress her giggles but to no avail.

"Yeah," he muttered under his breath. "Sorry I dozed off by the way."

Before Blair could respond to his statement, however, he received an incoming text message. The brunette automatically leaned in closer to him in hopes of catching a glimpse of the screen. He snapped his phone shut before she could see so much as a letter.

"Gina is here," he announced. "I'll pick you up at eight for the party tonight, but call me before then if you need me, alright?"

"I will," she assured him and this time, Chuck was certain that she would keep her promise. "Are you not going to introduce me to Gina?"

Chuck laughed lightly as he climbed back into his car.

He rolled down the window and informed her, "Gina lurks."

Blair looked around then to survey her surroundings. She crinkled her nose slightly and Chuck knew that she was uncomfortable with the situation, but was unwilling to say so.

"You need the protection Blair," he reminded her, taking her hand in his. "I would stay with you if I could."

"I know," she answered, leaning in to place a light kiss on his lips. "See you tonight, ok?"

He nodded in confirmation as he slipped his key into the ignition.

"Don't miss me too much Waldorf," he shouted cockily as he started to drive away.

"As _if_ Bass!" she shot back at him, although a tiny smile escaped from her lips.

* * *

The fresh smell of pancakes awakened his senses as he stepped inside his house. He strode into the kitchen to find Nate and Eric seated at the kitchen table.

"You never fail to come over for breakfast when Eric makes pancakes, do you Nathaniel?" Chuck asked.

The blond shook his head as Eric asked a question of his own.

"Did you not get enough sleep last night?" Eric wondered, noticing his tired expression. "Where were you anyway?"

"Camping outside of Blair's building?" Chuck offered as he let out a yawn.

"You _do_ know that Blair is your girlfriend now, right?" Eric teased. "You don't have to stalk her just to see her anymore you know."

"Oh you're so hilarious little brother," Chuck commented sarcastically.

"I do what I can," he answered smoothly, patting his brother lightly on the back.

"Even after two threats, Blair _still_ wanted to finish the investigation," Chuck explained.

"So, you just let her?" Nate inquired. "Way to stand your ground man."

"I know," Chuck groaned. "But she's incredibly hard to say no to. How often do you find yourself saying no to Serena?"

Nate laughed and said, "Point taken."

"Anyway," Chuck continued. "I did set some ground rules. I have to be with her whenever she partakes in case related activities and when she doesn't, she has to let Gina keep an eye on her from a distance. I take over only during the night because for some odd reason, Gina refuses to work after ten."

"Ah!" Eric stated in understanding. "That certainly justifies your stalking tendencies when it comes to Blair then."

Nate chuckled at Eric's comment as Chuck sent them both a death glare.

"What are _you_ laughing about Archibald?" Chuck inquired. "I haven't even begun to grill you on what you were doing at Blair's last night."

Nate's eyes grew at least two sizes wider when he finally realized that since Chuck had been camping out in front of Blair's building last night, he must have also witnessed both his arrival and departure.

"Hey man," he started to defend himself. "She called _me_! I swear and it was case related, but I can't tell you anything because I promised her I wouldn't breathe a word to you."

Chuck rolled his eyes and clarified, "I'm not accusing you two of having an affair here Nathaniel and she told me about the second threat evidently, but I want details. So, start spilling."

Nate breathed a sigh of relief and quickly revealed everything he knew to the brunette, who twitched slightly as the blond relayed the threatening message to him.

"Have you sent them down to Janice for fingerprints and what not then?" he asked afterward.

"Actually, I figured it was urgent," Nate informed him. "So, I ran the tests myself last night immediately after I left Blair's. They're clean. No clues whatsoever to the murderer's identity. I was also at The Palace when Eric called me to let know he was making pancakes this morning. The perpetrator was smart enough to delete that specific set of employee records from the computer database as well."

"Hotel hard copy?" Chuck questioned. "And did they leave any clues behind at the restaurant at least?"

"Gone and I'm afraid not," Nate answered, glancing nervously at the brunette.

"_This is ridiculous!_" Chuck shouted after a moment of silence. "How can they be _this_ good at covering their tracks?"

"Beats me," Nate enlightened him. "We still have our suspects though, right? You still have a few leads."

Chuck let out a deep sigh as Eric walked out of the kitchen, mumbling under his breath about being late for school or something like that.

"Blair's got Serena covered and I think I'm going to have to seriously look into Bart at this point in the case," Chuck told him. "Don't even think about stopping me Nathaniel. I don't give a shit what Bart is paying for! Blair's life is at risk here!"

"Which is why you're letting her continue her investigation on the case?" Nate retorted.

"_Don't_," Chuck warned him.

"Fine. I won't stop you _or_ Blair," Nate promised. "But will you at least tell me why Blair's investigating Serena?"

Chuck looked up at his best friend then apologetically. He had almost forgotten that Nate and Serena were dating now.

"Sorry man," Chuck started. "But the lab results came back. The blond hair we found at the scene of the crime _was_ Serena's."

Nate opened his mouth to speak, but Chuck put up a hand to stop him.

"Now, I know that doesn't mean that she did it, but I have to at least question her," the brunette reasoned with him. "Blair just wanted to do it informally at the costume party tonight herself is all."

"Ok fine," Nate conceded. "Fair enough, but I know she didn't do it Chuck. I mean, Serena?"

Chuck nodded in agreement and announced, "I know Nathaniel, which I why I'm prepared to fully investigate Bart Fairmont now."

"Starting at the party tonight?" Nate offered.

"I guess so," he answered as the two boys headed out the door. "That reminds actually that I'll have to kindly ask Daryl to help me pick up my tux later today."

"Isn't it a costume party?" Nate wondered in confusion.

"It is," Chuck assured him. "Blair is going as a queen and I'm going to be her king."

"In other words," Nate said as he rolled his eyes at the brunette. "Neither of you are really going in costume. I mean, Blair will be in a pretty dress and you'll be in a tux. I wouldn't call those costumes exactly."

"Nonsense," Chuck uttered, waving off his unwelcome words. "Blair and I will even be wearing crowns."

Nate rolled his eyes once again and stated, "And by crowns you mean Blair will be wearing a headband and you'll be wearing a matching bowtie, right?"

"I won't tell a soul if you won't," Chuck promised. "Sorry, but Chuck and Blair just don't do costume parties."

"Well, in case you were wondering, Serena and I plan to go as Barbie and Ken," he revealed with a look of pride on his face.

"How...suitable," the brunette commented as he took the key out of the ignition, stepped out of the car, and approached a pissed off Janice, who was most likely furious that Nate had used the lab last night without her permission.

* * *

"Explain to me why we're going to the party as bacon and eggs again Dan?" Vanessa asked as she observed her costume in the mirror.

"It was _your_ idea to purchase these when we walked into the costume shop," Dan reminded her. "You wanted unique, remember? I think you got it."

"Maybe we should have gone with ketchup and mustard instead," Vanessa said as she readjusted the yolks of her costume.

"Yes," Dan agreed, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Because that would have made us look less ridiculous."

Vanessa laughed and urged, "Oh come on Dan! It's a costume party. I'll bet Victrola will be _crawling_ with outrageous costumes tonight."

"Right," Dan muttered. "Why is this being held at Victrola again? It's sort of the last place I want to be right now since I'm trying to get over Blair?"

"You told me you were over her," Vanessa accused him, her hands on her hips.

"I meant I'm still trying to get over the humiliation of the break-up," Dan explained. "I told you that after the anger passed, I felt relief for some odd reason. I wasn't lying about that."

"What _I_ want to know is _why_ you felt relief and on top of that felt _nothing_ when you kissed Serena," Vanessa told him. "I mean, how weird is that?"

"Yeah," Dan murmured as finally slipped on his bacon costume. "How do I look?"

"Good enough to eat Humphrey," Vanessa said, giving him her verdict.

He smiled at her and chose to ignore the queasy feeling in his stomach as they headed out of the penthouse.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Jenny and Eric shouted simultaneously from behind them.

Dan and Vanessa swiveled around to find them dressed as knife and fork.

"What the _hell_?" Dan asked in confusion as he surveyed the two.

Jenny laughed at the semi-shocked expression on his face and responded, "We saw you two purchase those costumes today and we just couldn't resist."

"Where's Jonathan?" Vanessa questioned, doubling over with laughter at their costumes.

"Oh look," Eric commented in a playful tone. "The girl dressed as eggs thinks she looks so much less ridiculous."

Vanessa stopped laughing then and shot him a teasing glare as Eric made it a point to appease her by answering her earlier question.

"Jonathan's meeting us at the party," Eric explained.

"He's going as the spoon," Jenny added as she shared a look with the Bass boy.

"Well then," Dan joked. "I guess all we're missing is a slice of toast and maybe a glass of orange juice to make us a complete breakfast."

"Dad and Lily are already at the party as a doctor and a nurse and Serena has her own thing going with Nate," Jenny revealed, a hint of jealousy in her voice upon saying the latter part of that sentence. "Otherwise, we _would_ be a complete breakfast."

"Not without a plate," Eric interrupted.

"Oh and a napkin! And a table! And a _tablecloth_!" Jenny shouted enthusiastically.

"Ok," Vanessa voiced. "Now we're just going overboard."

The group headed out of the penthouse laughing and chatting away as the raven-haired girl trailed slowly behind them. She felt her eyes water at the thought of how much Pete would have enjoyed this costume party if he were still here. She felt Dan squeeze her hand lightly in support as they climbed into the waiting limo. She smiled gratefully at him before she made a silent vow that she would have fun tonight for her brother. It was, after all, what he would have wanted.


	24. Would I Lie To You?

**A/N:** I failed to post a chapter last week because I had to study for the final exam of my summer course. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Feedback is welcomed and much appreciated as always. I ask you once more. Who _did_ kill Pete Fairmont? The answer should be revealed in the next chapter or two. Are you not excited?

**Would I Lie To You?**

* * *

All of the guests turned around to face her the moment she had stepped onto the premises. She looked absolutely flawless tonight. Even she would give herself that. Jenny truly had potential in becoming a world renowned fashion designer.

"Have I told you that you look absolutely beautiful tonight?" Chuck murmured into her ear as he led her towards Nate and Serena.

"Only about a million times Bass," she whispered back before she greeted their friends.

"My queen," Serena started, a giggle assaulting the hollows of her throat. "May I inquire as to who designed that fabulous dress for you?"

Blair rolled her eyes, but giggled along with the blond.

"If you must know Barbie," the brunette drawled. "The fork, Jenny Humphrey, did."

Nate smiled in amusement as the girls continued to remain in character. Chuck merely shrugged and turned his attention towards his best friend.

"Nathaniel, a word please," he said, glancing purposefully towards him.

Serena immediately stopped chatting with Blair upon hearing his request and grabbed onto Nate's arm as he attempted to follow the brunette into the crowd. Her lips formed an irresistible pout in protest.

"Where are you two going?" Serena wondered, unwilling to loosen her hold on her boyfriend.

"Chuck and I have some business to take care of is all," he assured her.

Serena bit her lip in uncertainty, but allowed him to disappear off into the crowd alongside Chuck. She then turned back towards Blair, who cocked her head over to one of the secluded booths in the corner of the room. Serena nodded her head eagerly in agreement at her suggestion and the girls made their way quickly over to the table, seating themselves on the plush, leather seats.

"You and Chuck seem to be getting serious B," Serena mentioned casually as she took a sip of her drink.

"I suppose you could say that," Blair answered, her mouth turning up slightly at the corners at the very idea. "What about you and Nate? You two seem to have gotten so close as well in such a short period of time."

Serena remained silent and nodded at her numbly, a familiar nervousness slowly overtaking her eyes. This most certainly did not go unnoticed by the brunette.

"Serena," she started. "Are you alright?"

Again, the blond averted her gaze from her best friend, swirling the contents of her glass around and around in her right hand.

"There's something you're not telling me S, but I can tell that you want to," Blair urged, reaching across the table and placing a hand over hers. "Just tell me. I won't judge you. I mean, I'm not exactly a saint. After all, I _did_ cheat on Dan."

At the mention of Dan, Serena flicked her head up to look at the brunette briefly before hanging her head once more.

"This has to do with Dan, doesn't it?" Blair inquired after another lengthy silence.

Serena nodded and exposed, hesitation in her voice, "That night when you were in the hospital, Dan and I kissed. It was a total accident and for the record, I felt _nothing_ – surprisingly."

Blair crinkled her nose in confusion and then asked, "Then what's the problem S? I'm not angry with you if that's what you're worried about. I'm with Chuck now."

"Oh no," Serena told her quickly. "I know that. I didn't think you'd be mad or anything if I told you. I just feel really guilty because I haven't told _Nate_ about the incident."

"Ah," Blair sounded, finally understanding where her concerns lay. "Well, you felt nothing and it _was_ an accident, so I don't see why not. If it's really eating you that you've been keeping it a secret, just tell him. He'll probably just shrug it off S. Nate's many things, but he's not irrational."

Serena pursed her lips in thought at her best friend's words before her face finally broke into a wide smile.

"Thanks B," she said gratefully. "You're right. There isn't really any reason why I shouldn't tell him."

"Exactly," Blair agreed, giving her a reassuring nod.

"I'll tell him later," Serena informed her. "Speaking of which, what business do Chuck and Nate have to take care of exactly B? You probably know."

"Oh," Blair answered. "I don't know actually. It has to do with Pete's murder though I'm sure."

Serena raised an eyebrow and challenged the brunette.

"Come on B," Serena urged. "I know you know as much as Chuck does about the case."

"No really S," Blair insisted, careful to maintain her facade. "I have no idea what business those two need to take care of. I'm sure it's nothing that we should be concerned about. Why does it matter anyway?"

It was Blair's turn to grill the blond and once again, Serena averted her gaze from the brunette.

"It doesn't," she stuttered. "I was just wondering so that I could gauge how long it might be before they come back to find us is all. I really want to come clean to Nate about what happened between me and Dan that night as soon as possible."

"Right," Blair muttered, unable to believe her words.

She knew her well enough to know that Serena was flat out lying to her face. She was really making it hard for Blair to continue believing in her innocence. Why was she so interested in what Chuck and Nate were taking care of at the moment? The flicker of discomfort that had danced across her eyes at the mention of Pete's murder again had been unmistakable. Something was definitely up and it was time for Blair to press her for information – best friend or not.

"S," Blair started, leaning closer towards the blond. "I need to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me."

"Ok," Serena agreed, uncertainty etched in her delicate features.

"Hey Blair, can I talk to you for a minute?" a voice interrupted them then to which Blair groaned loudly in frustration and Serena let out an undetected, relieved sigh.

Both girls turned to look up at the perpetrator and savior respectively to find Dan hovering above them. Blair stifled a giggle upon noticing his bacon costume only to burst into friendly laughter when she witnessed Vanessa dressed as eggs a mere meter away.

"Yeah, sure," Blair answered after she had managed to control her mirth. "I'll be right back Serena. Don't go anywhere."

Blair followed closely behind him as he guided her away from Serena.

"Is something wrong Dan?" she wondered as she took notice of the tense expression on his face.

"You're about to question Serena, aren't you?" he countered, waiting for her response.

"What makes you think that?" Blair inquired, her defensive mechanisms kicking in immediately.

"Even from across the room I could see that look on your face," he answered.

The two continued to stare at one another before Blair finally said, "I am and if you're about to convince me otherwise, don't bother. This case is personal now."

Dan motioned for her to further explain that final statement, but Blair shook her head.

"Long story Dan," she told him.

He opened his mouth, prepared to ask her to tell him the story anyway, but ultimately decided against it. It was her business – not his.

"Honestly, I don't care if you question her Blair," he assured her. "I want to find Pete's murderer as much as you do. I don't want Vanessa to go through her whole life knowing that her brother's murderer is still out there somewhere, you know?"

"Oh," Blair voiced in understanding. "Well, then what _did_ you want to talk to me about?"

"I have something to tell you that might help you with the case," he confessed, surveying his surroundings to make sure that no one was listening in on their conversation.

Blair did the same and turned back to face Dan moments later, giving him an assuring nod to proceed.

"The bottom line is that Vanessa and I witnessed Nate handing Serena a yellow tape at this cafe the other day," he revealed.

"And?" Blair prodded him on, slightly puzzled as to how this piece of information would help her in solving Pete's murder.

"Nate and Chuck paid a visit to Vanessa and Bart earlier in the day," Dan explained, clarifying the relevance of what they had witnessed to the case. "Chuck was questioning them while Nate searched the house. Chuck let Vanessa go once Bart had admitted to having asked her to fake being his alibi for that night. Vanessa was on her way out to meet me, but she left her purse behind. She went upstairs to grab it. As she passed by Pete's room, she witnessed Nate pocketing that exact tape."

"Wow," Blair commented as she recovered from her shock. "Very interesting. What was the tape of?"

"Neither of us knows," Dan told her truthfully. "We would have told Chuck instead, but we decided that it would probably be best if we didn't make a big deal out of this just yet. I mean, just in case the tape is actually irrelevant to the case and all, you know?"

Blair nodded and said gratefully, "Well, thanks for letting me know Dan. I'll look into it."

"I know what you're thinking Blair," Dan stated in response to her grim expression. "You're thinking that Pete was blackmailing Serena with that tape and that whatever that tape was of, it was enough to kill him for."

"Yes," Blair confessed. "I just don't see why Serena would kill him for it though. His condition to giving her back the tape was that she sleep with him once. Why would she opt to kill him instead? I mean, I know Pete is disgusting and I wouldn't exactly have been thrilled at the prospect of sleeping with him either, but why commit murder?"

Dan merely shrugged at her questions and offered, "Maybe she knew that Pete would probably go back on his word once she did. Let's be real here. Once wouldn't have been enough for Pete."

"We'll assume for now that that's why she did it," Blair stated. "Killing him _still_ wouldn't have helped her get the tape back anyway though."

"Yes," Dan agreed. "But killing him at least eliminated the risk of him leaking that tape out to the general public. With him dead, she could take her time in obtaining that tape – respectively of course."

"Serena started to date Nate almost right after Pete was murdered," Blair noted. "Maybe her ultimate goal was to manipulate him into helping her get that tape back discreetly. Nate is completely smitten with her. He would do anything to protect her regardless of the consequences."

Dan nodded his head in agreement as Blair let out a dejected sigh.

"And yet," she insisted. "As convincing as our theory is, I still don't believe that Serena would be capable of murder."

"Me either," Dan murmured under his breath.

"Well, thanks again Dan," Blair said, bidding him goodbye. "The truth always comes out eventually."

He smiled at her and responded, "No problem Blair. What are friends for?"

She returned his smile before he swiveled around and disappeared off into the rowdy crowd. Then, the brunette headed back towards the booth only to stop in her tracks when the wheels began to turn inside her head once more. Assuming that Serena was _indeed_ the murderer, she must have also been the one to poison her and dish out those threats. The second time around, she had handed the evidence willingly over to Nate. In his quest to help Serena, Blair would bet that Nate had never even analyzed the evidence she had given him in the lab and had Nate not also been the one to investigate the restaurant after she had been poisoned? He had told Chuck that he had found nothing, but again, he could have simply lied to hide the truth. Blair would have to be careful about who she trusted from now on regardless of whether her theory was right or wrong. She slid back into the booth then, prepared to question the blond, only to find that her best friend was missing.

* * *

Chuck leaned back into the wall of the closet in utter disbelief. Pete had committed stock fraud and now Bart was trying to cover up for his mistake. He had hired Phillip Trishaw to scare certain stubborn board members into selling him their shares. He had been with Phillip that night, which was why Bart Fairmont had been forced to ask his daughter to be his fake alibi and then later insisted that he had been alone that night. Revealing his true alibi would certainly not have done him any favors. That Chuck understood, but if Bart Fairmont did not kill his own son, then who did? There was almost no one left to suspect!

"Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Fairmont," Phillip assured him as he sauntered out of the room.

Bart gave him a curt nod, put his check book back into his jacket pocket, and departed from the room as well. Chuck made sure to wait a few moments before sneaking out of the closet and returning to meet up with Nate.

"What did you find out man?" Nate asked curiously the moment he spotted the brunette.

Chuck shook his head and answered, "He has an alibi."

He then proceeded to tell the blond of the operation that Bart had worked so hard to keep off of their radar.

"Wow," Nate commented, stunned by his findings. "Who _did_ kill Pete Fairmont then?"

"I have no clue," Chuck told him, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "And we're running out of suspects."

There was a pause.

"Thanks for distracting the security guard by the way," he added. "Or it would have been near impossible for me to have sneaked into the employees-only area of this place."

"You're welcome," Nate responded, a small chuckle bubbling in his throat. "Of course, we were lucky that the security guard on duty tonight was a woman. My charms might not have worked on a guy if you know what I mean."

"Right," Chuck agreed, joining his best friend in laughter. "Anyway, we should probably go and find our dates now."

Nate nodded his head in consensus and the two headed off into the crowd in search of a beautiful blond and brunette.

* * *

Blair weaved her way through the dancing crowd looking for Serena. After about ten minutes of intense searching, she spotted the blond about a meter away having the time of her life, drink in hand.

"Serena!" Blair shouted over the blaring music as she approached her best friend. "I thought I told you not to leave!"

"You were taking so long Blair," she excused herself. "I figured I'd party while I wait. Come on! Dance with me!"

"Oh God," Blair commented as she allowed the blond to take her arms and wiggle them around. "You're already drunk."

"Not even close," the blond scoffed as she continued to shimmy on the dance floor. "So, what did you need to ask me earlier?"

"Do you _swear_ that you were never in Pete's suite the night of his murder S?" Blair asked, deciding that there was no time for beating around the bush anymore.

Serena froze and stood there staring at her best friend. There was an evident anger in her eyes.

"I _told_ you that I didn't kill him! I _told_ you that I was never there that night!" Serena hissed loud enough for Blair's ears and Blair's ears only. "Why can't you believe me B?"

"Because you're not giving me reason to S!" she seethed back, furious that the blond couldn't just be honest with her. "They found your hair at the scene of the crime! _Don't lie to me!_"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Serena persisted, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.

"Pete was blackmailing you with that tape you got Nate to retrieve from his bedroom, wasn't he?" Blair continued. "Don't bother lying to me S. My sources are reliable. You killed him to prevent the tape from becoming public knowledge, didn't you? _Didn't you Serena?_"

"_How dare you!_" Serena spat, careful to keep her voice hushed – not that anyone was really paying any mind to their quarrel.

Everyone was too busy partying the night away.

"Didn't you Serena?" Blair repeated, staring intently into her fiery eyes.

For a moment after that, all that could be heard was the synchronized sound of the girls' heavy breathing. Much to Blair's surprise, Serena betrayed no emotion and returned her stare with an equal if not stronger intensity.

"_No_," Serena emphasized. "For the last _fucking_ time Blair, I didn't do it. If you really think I did, then why don't you _prove it_?"

The blond gave the brunette a tiny shove then.

"You did _not_ just push me Serena," Blair said, an unmistakable warning in her voice.

The blond pushed her again and then challenged her, "You mean like _that_?"

There was a pause.

"_I did_," she assured her cockily.

Blair lunged for the blond then and the two of them hit the floor with a resounding thud. People started to gather around to watch the fight and observed in complete and utter amusement as Nate and Chuck pulled the girls apart. Blair and Serena were separated kicking and screaming until Chuck yelled for both of them to freeze and shut the fuck up. The boys both dropped them on their feet soon after and the girls then proceeded to make themselves more presentable, although they continued to glare at one another from a distance.

"Would either of you care to tell me what the _fuck_ is going on here?" Chuck questioned as Bart assured the rest of the guests that everything was under control.

Both girls refused to answer his question as they began to pick up their belongings from up off the floor. Somehow the contents of their clutches had flown out during the fight. In the corner of her eye, Blair spotted three phones lying on the floor in close proximity to one another. One was hers. One was Serena's and she recognized the third one to belong to Nate. He must have dropped it unknowingly when he and Chuck were pulling Serena and her apart. Luckily for her, only _she_ seemed to notice Nate's phone on the ground. She shoved the phone into her purse quickly, cursing when she noticed that his phone was password protected, before getting back up to face her boyfriend and his disapproving glare.

"We're leaving," she told him before he could reprimand her for her behaviour.

Chuck forced himself to remain silent as he sighed in defeat and nodded, following her out of the premises. Nate gave his best friend a final wave and a shrug before allowing Serena to lead him back into the once again, partying crowd.

* * *

The moment they stepped into the limo, Blair filled Chuck in on everything that had led up to her fight with Serena and _he_ told _her_ about everything he had discovered out about Bart, although needless to say, he was slightly pissed off that Blair had known about Bart's secret operation all along, but had failed to tell him so.

"You _knew_ and you didn't tell me?" he accused her.

"It slipped my mind," she defended herself. "Besides, I only knew about the stock fraud and the cover up attempt. I had no idea about this Phillip Trishaw character or that he was with Bart that night."

"Whatever," Chuck said, rolling his eyes at the brunette. "I guess the important thing is that we both know now that Bart did not kill his own son. Now, about that theory of yours. I believe that Serena could have killed Pete and whatnot, but Nate is a professional. He would _never_ help Serena cover up for her crime."

"Would you stake your life on it Bass?" she challenged him.

His hesitation in responding to her question was answer enough.

"Come on Chuck," Blair urged. "You're telling me that it's just a _coincidence_ that Nate was the one to investigate the restaurant and the evidence I gave him only to find out that there were _no_ clues _whatsoever_ as to the murderer's identity?"

"It could be Blair," Chuck insisted, rubbing his chin. "Look, you're wrong. Janice was furious with Nate this morning when she found out that he had used her lab last night without her permission. Why would Nate even bother running the tests on the items if he was going to lie for Serena's sake anyway? Not to mention the fact that he spent a ridiculously long time at that restaurant that day searching for clues. Why wouldn't he have just looked around a bit and then simply told me that he had found nothing? Why spend _hours_ questioning the kitchen staff and whatnot? Answer me that Blair."

"I don't know Chuck," she told him honestly. "I just know that I'm right. _Something_ is telling me that I'm right. Serena killed Pete and Nate is covering up her crime."

Chuck sighed, refusing to look her in the eyes.

"I'll bring Serena in for questioning tomorrow as planned Waldorf, but I refuse to believe that Nate is involved like you insist he is. _Nothing_ has given me reason to believe that," he said, standing firm.

"Fine," Blair finally conceded before turning away from him and staring out of the window of the moving vehicle.

She would just have to prove him wrong and she truly hoped that the contents of Nate's phone would be able to do just that. It was time to give Robert a call.


	25. Grave Danger

**A/N:** Without a doubt, the next chapter will be the last. Leave me a review for all of my work on this chapter, yes?

**Grave Danger**

* * *

Chuck walked out of the building and headed towards his car only to find Jonathan and Eric leaning against it.

"Shouldn't you two be in school?" Chuck inquired, raising an eyebrow in their direction.

"Yes," Eric answered slowly. "This is our free period. Jonathan wanted to talk to you about something."

"Is this important?" Chuck asked. "I kind of need to be somewhere right now."

"Well, sort of," Jonathan answered. "I thought I should finally tell you what Pete was blackmailing the Humphreys with."

Chuck motioned for the boys to get in the car before slipping into the vehicle himself and putting his key into the ignition.

"And Serena?" he wondered, the moment he put the car in motion.

"I honestly don't know anything about her except that he was blackmailing her with some sort of tape," he revealed, a nervousness in his eyes.

"Relax Jonathan," Chuck told him, slightly disappointed that the boy knew nothing more about Serena than he already did. "I'm glad you've decided to tell me what you know about the Humphreys anyway."

"Well, yeah," Jonathan started, taking a deep breath, one hand curled tightly around his seat belt. "Eric convinced me to tell you actually."

Chuck glanced in his rear-view mirror then and smiled gratefully at his little brother, who smiled back in response.

"Now, tell me Jonathan," Chuck prodded him on. "What was Pete blackmailing the Humphreys with?"

"I'm not sure if this will help you with your case, but when Mrs. Humphrey was still married to Mr. van der Woodsen, she had a one-night stand with Mr. Humphrey. The next morning, the two of them had agreed that it had been a mistake and they parted ways, but the problem was that they hadn't been careful enough in their act of sin. Mrs. Humphrey got pregnant," Jonathan explained.

"What happened to the child then?" Chuck asked curiously, although he had a gut feeling of what the fate of that child had been.

"Mrs. Humphrey ultimately opted for an abortion," he revealed. "Keeping the baby simply wasn't an option because Mr. van der Woodsen would have known with certainty that the child wasn't his."

Intrigued, Chuck motioned for him to continue, careful to keep his eye on the road at the same time.

"Mr. Humphrey only found out she was even carrying his child after the abortion. He's forgiven her since of course, completely understanding the situation she was in, but Pete had been holding all of this above their heads for quite some time."

"And what would have been at stake if this news were to have become public knowledge?" Chuck questioned, although he didn't really see Lily and Rufus as suspects at this point in the case.

"Well, besides their reputation, it would have threatened the stability of their family as they know it," he answered truthfully.

"Yeah," Eric added. "I don't think Dan, Serena, and Jenny would be too thrilled to discover the truth. You're not going to tell anyone about all of this, right?"

Jonathan looked up at him too through the rear-view mirror as well for confirmation.

"Of course not," Chuck assured them both to which both boys breathed a sigh of relief. "Honestly, I don't view either of them as suspects in Pete's murder at this point in the investigation. After all, they had paid Pete off already. What would have been the point of killing him unless he had pushed them over the edge by asking for more or something?"

"Which he didn't," Jonathan enlightened him immediately.

"Right," Chuck emphasized as he rolled to stop in front of their school. "Well, here we are boys. Thanks again Jonathan for your help and I'll see you both for dinner tonight."

Eric and Jonathan murmured their agreement before climbing out of the car, slamming the door shut firmly behind them. Chuck started the engine again and this time, headed off in the direction of The Palace. Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey may not be suspects in his eyes anymore, but Serena sure as hell was and he was done waiting for Blair to prove her innocence. It was time to fish out the truth out from the blond herself.

* * *

Chuck had slept outside of her building last night again. She did not argue with him nor did she ask him to come in. She had stalked out of the limo and only dared to peer at him once from the window in her room. This morning, she had found a note on her side table from him informing her that he would be busy for the entire day and that Gina would be keeping a close eye on her at all times. She had flipped open her cell phone to call him then only to hang up before even the first ring had sounded. She had nothing to apologize for. Just as Chuck had every right to think that Serena had killed Pete, she had every right to believe that Nate was helping her cover up for her crime. Yes, she had nothing to apologize for. Her thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the door before her.

"Blair," Robert greeted her, motioning for her to step inside the house. "You said you needed my help on the phone?"

"Yes," she confirmed before following him up the stairs and to his room.

She seated herself in the chair next to him as he booted his computer before she spoke up.

"I need you to unlock this phone," Blair told him, taking the device out of her purse and offering it to him. "It's password protected."

Robert took the phone from her hand cautiously and turned it over several times in his own.

"Before I help you, whose phone is this exactly?" he inquired, pursing his lips in apparent thought.

"Detective Archibald's," Blair answered hesitantly.

"You stole a _detective's_ phone Blair?" Robert clarified in disbelief. "For what purpose? Are you out of your mind?"

"Will you _stop_ asking so many questions R?" Blair asked in frustration. "I'm trying to prove something and to do that I need to be able to access the contents of that phone. Are you going to help me or not?"

"Fine," Robert conceded, rubbing his forehead in obvious irritation. "But only because I didn't come up with much last time when you came to see me about Bart and Vanessa."

"Thank you," Blair said gratefully as Robert rummaged through his desk drawer for the right equipment.

"So, I heard about you and Detective Bass," Robert started, trying to make small talk as he connected a small wire from the phone to his computer in an attempt to get the device to access its contents. "Congratulations. I never knew you had it in you to cheat on someone B. I thought cheating was unforgivable."

"It is," Blair retorted. "What you did to me was different!"

Robert laughed at this as he opened a few files on his computer.

"How so?" he asked curiously, crossing his arms over his chest in complete amusement.

"You didn't love Serena," Blair quickly blurted out, clamping her hand over her mouth the moment she had realized what she had just said.

"No!" Robert commented, incredulity overtaking his features. "You're in _love_ with that jackass? And by the way, cheating is cheating Blair. Admit it. You committed _exactly_ the same crime that I did."

"Fine! I admit it, but I felt bad about it later. I swear," Blair revealed, purposely avoiding confirming what she had alluded to earlier regarding her feelings for Chuck.

"So did I," Robert told her.

"Well, I forgive you just like Dan has forgiven me," Blair huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance. "Now, have you unlocked the phone or not?"

Robert smirked and swiveled back around to face his computer.

"Not only have I unlocked the phone B, I've extracted all of its contents onto my computer for easy snooping," he assured her, deciding not to push their previous, unwelcome conversation any further. "What are you looking for exactly?"

"Actually Robert," Blair started, an apologetic look in her chocolate eyes. "I'd rather not say. Would you mind if I looked through everything myself?"

Robert looked at her sceptically. He _never_ let anyone touch his computer. _Ever._

"Blair, you know my one and only rule regarding my computer," he reminded her.

"I know," she whined. "Nobody gets to touch it but you. Can't you make an exception just this once? Please? I promise I'll only poke my nose into whatever was in that phone. I _swear_ I won't nose around in anything else."

"After all these years and that stupid pout of yours still works on me," he muttered under his breath as he stood up to leave. "I'm coming back in ten minutes Blair and by then, you'd better be gone and with that phone too. Whatever you're doing, it better not get me in trouble with the authorities."

"Please," Blair scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. "Like you aren't in trouble with them already on a daily basis."

"Hey!" he teased as he strode out of the room. "It's been a good three weeks since I last had a run in with the cops. You have ten minutes Blair."

The moment Robert had left the room, the brunette immediately checked Nate's incoming and outgoing calls starting a few days before the murder. Nate and Serena had only started to contact each other _after_ the murder and seemed to call each other often, but that was all the logs could tell her. She then checked his text messages. There was nothing unusual there. The blonds seemed to be a loving couple who truly cared about one another. Perhaps her theory had been ridiculous all along. Surely if Serena had asked Nate to help her cover up for her crime or Nate had volunteered to do so himself, there would be a record of them doing so. She supposed they could have only talked about it in phone calls or in person, but she knew Serena had a preference for text messages.

What about his voicemails? She scrolled through the list of old voicemail messages only to click on the one that caught her eye almost immediately. Nate had listened to it _sixty four_ times and it had been recorded approximately at the time of Pete's untimely death. Curious, Blair opened the audio file expecting to hear Serena's voice only to be disappointed when it was that of a stranger's. Someone named Andrew Tyler was informing Nate that he had mixed up the envelopes and that he wanted to meet with him as soon as possible to give him the right one. Apparently, Nate had yet to pay him for his services as well. _What_ envelopes? _What_ services? And where had she heard the name Andrew Tyler before?

"_Blair dear," Mrs. Wilkinson called out to her, waving a stiff hand in her direction. "There you are!"_

_The brunette smiled politely and made her way over to the group of gossiping women. Mrs. Wilkinson, of course, was the biggest gossip of them all._

"_Mrs. Wilkinson," she greeted the older woman courteously. "It's nice to see you again."_

"_And you my dear! And how many times have I ask you to call me Beatrice?" she voiced in response, resting a hand lightly on her arm. "Where is your darling mother tonight?"_

"_I think she stepped out for a bit of fresh air," Blair informed her, taking a step back from her touch. "I'll ask her to come and find you when she returns."_

_With that, Blair gave one final smile to the ladies around her and headed back in the direction in which she came only to be stopped yet again by Mrs. Wilkinson._

"_Blair dear," she started. "Come chat with us for a bit."_

_The other women tittered in agreement and Blair simply couldn't decline. It would have been rude if she did._

"_You're quite close with Serena, are you not?" Mrs. Wilkinson wondered, fidgeting with the pearls around her neck._

"_Yes," Blair answered, eyeing her curiously. "Why do you ask?_

"_Well, I heard from a reliable source that Lily hired Andrew Tyler to investigate her husband. He's one of the best PIs there is, don't you know? Apparently, Rufus was having an affair with his ex-wife, Allison! How scandalous!" she exclaimed as the other ladies in the group bobbed their heads up and down in agreement._

_Blair fought hard not to roll her eyes in their presence, digging her nails in the palm of her hands to prevent herself from doing so._

"_And what does all that have to do with Serena?" Blair questioned, forcing a smile for the sake of getting an answer._

"_Oh!" Mrs. Wilkinson informed her. "We were simply wondering if you knew what Andrew Tyler might have discovered. Surely if the affair was indeed found to be true, a divorce would be in order and surely, Serena would have told you if she knew that her mother and Rufus were in the middle of a nasty divorce, would she not?"_

"_Yes, she would," Blair answered, desperately wanting to wrap her hands around the woman's stout neck and strangle her to death. "But I can assure you Mrs. Wilkinson that their marriage is stronger than ever and that Mr. Humphrey was most certainly not having an affair with his ex-wife."_

"_And you're sure of this?" Miss Marks butted in, her eyes drowning in skepticism._

_Blair knew that Miss Marks had always had her sights set on Rufus Humphrey._

"_I assure you that my sources are always reliable Elizabeth," Blair drawled. "In fact, they're just about as reliable as your sources Beatrice and we all know how reliable those are. Well, I'd love to stay and gossip some more ladies, but I have a date to attend to. Enjoy the party."_

_Blair disappeared off into the crowd then without another word, leaving Mrs. Wilkinson and her party in the sole company of their shocked expressions._

Andrew Tyler was a PI! She remembered that now, but two questions still remained. _What_ envelopes? _What_ services? Blair shook her head in an attempt to clear her clouded mind and left the premises with Nate's phone in hand. She was done guessing. It was time to fish out the truth from the blond himself.

* * *

Chuck sighed in frustration as he stepped inside his office. Today was just his lucky day. He had driven all the way to The Palace just now only to find out that Serena was out for the day and would only be returning later on in the evening. He would just have to try to reach her again later. He walked over to his desk then and stopped short when he noticed that someone was seated in one of his chairs, waiting to see him.

"Oh Detective Bass," Andrew greeted him, standing up to shake his hand upon seeing the brunette enter the room. "I'm terribly sorry, but your staff assured me that it would be alright with you if I waited in here for your return."

"Of course," Chuck said, giving his hand a firm shake. "I have nothing to hide in here Mr...?"

"Andrew Tyler, sir," he informed him before taking the seat that Chuck was offering him. "And actually, I'm here to see Detective Archibald, but apparently, he has the day off. I figured I would trouble you instead. You are his best friend, yes?"

"Yes, he does and I am. Now, how may be of assistance Mr. Tyler?" Chuck inquired, tidying his desk as he spoke.

"I left him a message a few days ago regarding a careless mix up on my part," Andrew explained. "Would you be so kind as to pass on this envelope on to him and to remind him that I expect to be paid for my services as well?"

Chuck received the envelope with uncertainty and said, "Of course Mr. Tyler. I'll be sure to do so."

"Thank you," the man voice gratefully before getting up from his seat and making his departure.

Chuck continued to stare at the envelope before him in curiosity even minutes after Mr. Tyler had left. It wasn't his place to pry into Nate's private life, but his need to know things was currently eating him up. Nate was probably planning to tell him everything anyway. They never kept secrets from each other, right? With that thought in mind, he slowly took the envelope in his hands and opened it, eager to find out _exactly_ what was inside.

* * *

Blair strode out of the elevator towards her destination. She raised a hand to ring the door bell only to stop herself when she realized that Nate already had a guest. She could hear their muffled voices from the other side of the barrier. The brunette instantly pressed her ear to the door in an attempt to listen in on their conversation. Unfortunately, she was only able to catch onto a few words here and there. From what she _had_ gathered though, she suspected that some girl was confessing her love for Nate _to_ Nate and that he was rejecting her. Who was she? Jenny perhaps? The voice was too muffled for her to tell. She raised her arm then and took a deep breath before depressing the white button before her. Moments later, the door swung open to reveal Nate and just as she had predicted, Jenny, who was standing quietly behind him.

"Blair, what are you doing here?" Nate asked, glancing back at Jenny for a brief moment.

"Oh," Blair explained herself. "I wanted to talk to you about something regarding the case, but I can see you're busy. I'll come back later."

She made a move to leave only to be stopped by the younger blond not that the brunette was ever really planning to leave anyway.

"No," Jenny insisted, running to grab her purse from up off the couch. "I was just about to leave. Really."

"Jenny," Nate started upon hearing her words, a dejected sigh escaping from his lips. "I..."

"I'll see you around Nate," she interrupted him before striding past Blair towards the elevator.

"I'm really sorry Nate," Blair apologized, although she really wasn't sorry at all. "I had _no_ idea I was interrupting something."

"Oh no," Nate revealed, motioning for her to step into his apartment. "It wasn't anything important. Really. Jenny just needed to know something from me is all."

"Right," she responded, knowing full well what he was talking about and not wanting to push the subject any further.

Poor Jenny. She knew the girl was probably irreparably heartbroken at his rejection of her.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Nate asked as he took a seat beside her on the couch.

He turned his head to the side and looked at her expectantly, twiddling his thumbs as he did so.

"Oh!" Blair exclaimed, reaching for her purse. "You dropped your phone at the party last night. I thought I'd bring it back to you."

She rummaged through her purse to retrieve said item and placed it in his waiting hand the moment she had it.

"Thanks," he said warily, averting his gaze from her for a split second. "Did you...?"

"Of course not!" Blair answered him quickly. "Besides, your phone was locked."

Nate frowned and said, "Right. So, tell me why it's _unlocked_ right now exactly?"

Blair gulped and mentally scolded herself for her blunder. She had forgotten to _re_-lock the phone!

"Well, I...I..." she stuttered, unable to come up with a plausible explanation, especially on such short notice.

"You know what?" Nate started, offering her a reassuring smile. "Don't even worry about it. So, you said you wanted to talk to me about something regarding the case? Can I get you a drink?"

Before Blair could say no to the drink, Nate got up and strode into the kitchen on his own accord.

"Thanks," Blair shouted after him as she heard him retrieve a glass from the cabinet.

Should she just confront him with her theory? Would that be too forward? She knew Serena would never tell her the truth and Nate _was_ the weaker link in their relationship. Maybe he would crumble the moment she laid her theory on him. Surely he felt somewhat guilty for helping Serena cover up for her crime. At this point in time, Blair was unable to connect the voicemail she had heard to the case at all, so she didn't really plan on bringing that up.

"Nate," the brunette said carefully. "I think I know who murdered Pete."

"Really?" Nate asked her from the kitchen. "Who?"

"Nate," Blair started. "I think you know who murdered Pete better than I do; better than anyone does. I have proof and I'm about to go to Chuck with the evidence. I came here first because I wanted to give you a chance to get that person to give themselves up."

She was flat out lying to him about the having proof part, but she needed something to scare him into admitting to his dirty deeds. Perhaps, after his confession, he would be willing to band together with her to convince Serena to give herself up. Blair didn't know much about the law, but without doubt they would reduce her sentence if she did so. Nate was in love with Serena. Blair was confident that he would want what was best for her. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by an unfamiliar clicking sound. She looked up in horror to find Nate standing before her, a gun held firmly in his right hand.

"Get up Blair," Nate told her, keeping the weapon aimed at her forehead. "And hand me your phone."


	26. Love, Lies And Murder

**A/N:** This is the final chapter of the story and I would like to thank each and every one of my readers for following me on this journey and for your reviews. You may notice that not all loose ends have been tied up by the end of chapter, but rest assured, they will be in the upcoming sequel. _What do you mean Jenny is kidnapped?_ Please leave me with one final review and thank you once again for making my first Gossip Girl story such a surprising success!

**Update 11/7/10:** I did indeed start a sequel to this story titled Death By Design on 1/8/10. However, nine chapters in now and I realize that not only have most of my readers lost interest, but that maybe I have too. I have never done this before nor do I wish to ever do this again, but I have deleted the sequel as of today. I remain 100% dedicated to the series I am writing in real life on which both Liar Liar and Death By Design were based on. Thank you.

**Love, Lies And Murder**

* * *

Her chocolate eyes widened as she sat frozen in her place on the couch. After taking a moment to mentally calm herself down, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Nate?" Blair questioned, a mixture of both curiosity and fear written upon her pristine features.

Nate brought the gun closer to her in response. It was now pressed firmly against her forehead, a bead of sweat trickling down his own.

"Don't make me ask you again Blair," Nate warned her, reaching out his free hand to receive her phone.

Blair reached for her purse and slowly brought out the requested item, trying to formulate a plan of escape, but to no avail. With her back towards Nate, she eventually settled for calling Chuck. She had recently set his phone number as number one on her speed dial and she prayed that he would answer his phone. Luckily, Nate remained oblivious to what she had done and the moment she had placed the device in his hand, he tossed it aside. Blair watched in agony as the phone slid a good two meters away from where she was currently standing. She hoped that Chuck would come and rescue her, but she had to fend for herself in the meantime, especially if Chuck had failed to receive her call.

"How did you find out?" Nate demanded to know, his finger still resting steadily over the trigger, although the cold metal was no longer in contact with her delicate skin.

"Nate," Blair started, unable to take her eyes off of the weapon in front of her. "Put the gun down. I know how much you love Serena and that you want to protect her. As her best friend, I want to help her too. We can help her together Nate. _Please_ put the gun down."

"Serena? What the hell are you talking about Blair?" he wondered, his eyes swimming in confusion.

Eventually, the perplexity faded and he realized that Blair had been talking about Serena all this time. Blair thought that _Serena_ had been the one to kill Pete and that _he_ was merely helping her cover up for her crime. She had wanted to give him a chance to get _Serena_ to give herself up to the authorities. He shook his head at his own stupidity and let out a loud sigh, running his left hand through his hair in frustration though he continued to keep the gun trained on her forehead.

Blair brought her hand up to cover her open mouth when she too realized the truth and exclaimed, "Oh my God! Serena didn't kill Pete. _You_ did! _You_ were the one who killed Pete Fairmont!"

"Shut up you nosy little bitch!" Nate shouted, both of his hands on the gun now.

Blair looked down at the ground and murmured, "Why? Why did you do it Nate?"

"I thought I told you to _shut up_!" Nate reminded her. "And it was a fucking accident! Pete was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time!"

Blair swallowed hard. She needed to calm him down somehow or she was sure to be dead by the end of their conversation.

"Accidents happen all the time Nate," she enlightened him in a failed attempt to appease him. "_Please_ put the gun down. _Please._"

Blair dug her nails into the palm of her hands to prevent herself from crying. She needed to stay strong. It was the only way she would get out of this apartment alive.

"No," Nate responded, shaking his head from side to side. "You know way too much Blair. I can't let you go to Chuck with what you know. A scandal like this would ruin my family, especially my mother. She would be torn apart."

"It was an accident Nate," Blair persisted, almost begging with him now. "I'm sure she'd understand. Don't you think it would hurt her more to see you like this?"

"I'm sorry Blair, but things didn't have to end up this way. I warned you Blair. I warned you multiple times," he whispered, ignoring her question completely before raising his voice once again. "You are so goddamn stubborn Blair! You brought this on yourself! _You brought this on yourself!_"

Blair took a step back upon instinct. Nate was clearly losing it and fast. She was done waiting for Chuck to come and rescue her. She would need to rescue herself.

"You said you killed Pete by accident Nate," Blair reminded him in an attempt to distract him while she came up with a plan of escape. "Who did you mean to kill then?"

"Rufus," he answered, pausing slightly before he continued. "He was supposed to have been in that room that night not that the outcome would have been any different though. It would have still been a mistake if I had killed Mr. Humphrey instead."

A tear slid down his cheek then and he quickly wiped it away with his left hand before resting it once more on the cold metal.

"What do you _mean_ it would still have been a mistake?" she encouraged him as she glanced around for a potential weapon she could defend herself with.

Nate laughed menacingly at her question and commented, "I admire your spunk Blair. Even at gun point, you still want to know all the sordid details of what led up to Pete's death."

"Well," Blair retorted courageously. "You plan to kill me anyway, do you not? You might as well tell me the full story. I think I deserve that much at the very least."

Nate pursed his lips in consideration as Blair took notice of a glass vase set a mere meter away from her on a nearby side table. She took a step to the side towards it and luckily, her minor movement went unnoticed by the blond boy.

"Fine," Nate conceded. "Why the hell not? You know what they say Blair. Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead."

Blair shivered at his words, but kept her eyes locked on his. The last thing Blair needed was for Nate to notice what she was inching slowly towards.

"My father walked out on my mother before I was even born you see," Nate started, his voice quivering slightly as he began his story. "I never knew who he was. My mother _refused_ to let me know him because he had broken her heart. You have no idea how many mental breakdowns my mother has had over the years because of that son of a bitch. You have no idea what she's been through. She only started smiling when she met my step-father, Howard. I swore to myself that I would track my father down one day and kill him for all of the pain that he had caused her."

"You hired Andrew Tyler to find him," Blair stated as she took another step towards her destination.

Nate remained silent and Blair stood still in response, careful to remain unmoving.

"Rufus is your father then?" Blair prodded him on after a moment of silence, forgetting momentarily that Nate had mentioned that even killing Rufus would have been a mistake.

Nate let out a low chuckle and replied, "That was what the pictures he had given me had led me to believe, which is what led me to accidentally kill Pete. That _fucking_ useless PI that I hired made a mistake apparently and to think Mr. Tyler is supposedly the best in the business. _Ha!_ The best in the business my _ass_!"

"The envelopes," Blair whispered as the pieces of the puzzle finally began to fall into place. "Andrew Tyler accidentally gave you the envelope that was meant for Mrs. Humphrey."

Blair watched nervously as his lips curled in displeasure.

"I take it you _did_ do some snooping around in my phone," Nate deduced, staring intently at the brunette. "Yes, the envelopes, but what do you mean Andrew Tyler accidentally gave me the envelope that was meant for Mrs. Humphrey?"

"Lily hired Mr. Tyler to find out whether or not Rufus was having an affair with his ex-wife, Allison. Those pictures of Rufus were meant for Lily – not you. He mixed up the envelopes," Blair reasoned, taking herself one step closer towards her weapon of choice. "He left you a voice mail though admitting his mistake, didn't he?"

"I had already killed Pete by then!" Nate yelled desperately, tightening his hold on the gun, a new fire in his eyes. "And meanwhile, I still don't know who my bastard of a father really is because I've been avoiding Andrew Tyler like the plague in case someone would _miraculously_ be able to connect everything together like _you_ did! _You've ruined everything Blair!_"

"So, when I was getting too close, you poisoned me and sent me those threats," Blair confronted him, reminding herself to keep him talking. "And to think that I actually thought that Serena had been the one to kill Pete and that you were merely helping her cover up for her crime."

Two more steps and she would reach her destination.

"Serena doesn't have it in her to kill _anyone_," Nate spat.

Blair was right by the vase now and she thanked the heavens that Nate had not noticed their evident change in positions.

"You don't either Nate. Not really," Blair insisted, waiting for the opportune moment to attack him. "You didn't mean to kill Pete and you certainly don't want to kill me. You can give yourself up Nate; give yourself a fresh start. The mistakes can stop here. I'm sure they'll put it into consideration when they prosecute you. I mean, do you really want to do this Chuck? And what about Serena? Killing me will break them Nate, especially if you were the one to seal my fate. You _know_ it will."

The blond trembled from where he stood as hot tears began to pour uncontrollably from his eyes at her words. He lowered his gun slightly almost as if in consideration and Blair took the opportunity to grab the vase and smash it onto his head with as much force as she could muster.

"_You bitch!_" Nate screamed, grabbing his bleeding head in pain as his gun dropped to the floor with a resounding thud.

Blair bolted towards the door and unlocked it at the same time that Nate retrieved his gun from up off the floor and ran after her, his left hand still holding onto his bleeding head in obvious pain.

"You can't outrun me Blair!" he shouted after her, the bullet he had sent off missing her head by an inch.

Blair screamed and turned the corner, running as fast her legs could carry her towards the stairs. The elevator was definitely not an option at a time like this.

"_Goddamn it Blair!_" he yelled in frustration as he continued to chase after her down the hall. "Why do you have to make things so fucking _difficult_ for me?"

Blair continued to head for the stairs at the end of the hall, although her tears clouded her vision. She blinked them away and tried to quicken her pace. Nate was getting closer. His aim was getting better. Just as she passed by the elevator on her way to her destination, the doors opened and she felt someone pulling her into the confined space. Blair let out a shrill scream and closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst only to open them moments later and find that not only was she alone in the elevator, but that she was already headed down towards the lobby. She didn't have the mindset to ponder over why this was so and simply continued to hyperventilate as she descended towards the ground, deathly afraid that Nate be waiting for her on the other side of the double doors when it was finally time for them to open.

"Blair!" Gina shouted as they did, rushing in to help her up and out of her prison.

"Who are you?" Blair asked frantically, struggling against Gina's grasp. "How do you know my name? _Let go of me!_ I have to call the cops! _You_ have to call the cops! _You don't understand!_ There's a murderer on the loose! You have to..."

Two gunshots sounded off from above them then and Gina watched in horror as Blair collapsed mid-sentence into her arms.

* * *

"Serena," Dan urged for the millionth time. "Blair is going to be fine."

He rested a hand on her knee reassuringly as she sobbed into his shirt.

"It's been two hours Dan and she still hasn't woken up! People don't faint for that long!" she protested, letting out another strangled cry. "This is all my fault!"

"Don't be ridiculous Serena," Dan told her, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her into an upright position so that he could look her directly in the eyes. "We were _all_ fooled. None of us knew what Nate had done. We couldn't possibly have known."

Serena sniffled as he handed her yet another Kleenex.

"How do you date a murderer and not _know_ Dan?" Serena asked in exasperation. "_God!_ All this time I've been making out with a _murderer_, who happens to be the reason why my best friend and her boyfriend are currently in this wretched hospital by the way."

Dan let out a frustrated sigh. They had been having the same conversation over and over again for the past two hours. He looked up at her again then only to smile when he saw who was coming their way from behind her.

"Hey Dan," Vanessa greeted him, giving him a quick kiss. "How are you holding up Serena?"

The blond glanced back and forth between the two wondering if the kiss she had just witnessed had merely been a figment of her imagination.

"Did you two just...? Are you two...?" Serena asked, leaving each of her questions unfinished.

Vanessa looked over at Dan hesitantly and he took her hand in his in response, silently assuring her that their newfound relationship was to be no secret.

"Yes, we did and yes, we are," Dan notified the blond.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Serena broke into a wide smile and pulled them into a hug.

"Since when?" she squealed, grateful that they were helping her take her mind off of the current situation.

"Somewhere between poking fun at our bacon and eggs costume and drinking cheap beer on the roof of Victrola," Dan confessed as Vanessa let out a laugh over the memories of that night.

"It was _slightly_ more romantic than that," she insisted. "I guess we just realized that the right person had been by our side all along."

"Exactly," Dan echoed, placing a light kiss on the back of her hand.

"Well, I'm happy for you two," Serena announced before plopping backwards into her seat with a loud sigh.

There was a pause.

"I should have just been honest with Blair about everything from the start," she started up again. "Maybe she would have figured out much earlier that Nate was the culprit and then none of us would be in this mess! Oh God! This is all my fault!"

Dan groaned and dragged a hand over his face in annoyance.

Vanessa smiled in understanding and suggested, "Why don't you go and check up on Jenny, Dan? She should still be mopping around in front of Nate's room."

"I thought no one was allowed in that hallway?" Dan clarified as he stood up from his seat, fully prepared to leave.

"You're allowed to be in the _hallway_. It's just that no one can go in and see him except for hospital personnel and the police of course. In fact, they have two people stationed in front of his room to make sure of it," Serena informed him. "I _still_ can't believe Nate did all this! Has he woken up yet? Has _Chuck_?"

Vanessa shook her head solemnly as Dan gave her hand another light squeeze before heading off to find Jenny. The moment Dan had turned the corner, Vanessa opened her mouth to speak. Before she could utter a word, however, Dr. Parsons stepped out of Blair's room at long last.

* * *

"Miss Waldorf is awake," he announced. "Now, I know you all want to see the patient, but I must ask that there be no more than _three_ visitors in her room at a time. She is still slightly disoriented from the trauma she has suffered."

"We understand doctor," Eleanor spoke up from a few seats away. "Thank you."

She then turned towards the Serena and Vanessa and told them, "I would like to see my daughter first."

Vanessa nodded in understanding and held Serena back as Cyrus and Aaron followed closely behind Eleanor and into Blair's room.

"Blair?" Eleanor whispered as she took a seat by her daughter's bedside.

"Mother?" she asked, trying to get herself into a sitting position.

Aaron immediately ran over to fluff up his step-sister's pillow and this did not go unappreciated by the brunette.

"Thanks," Blair murmured before addressing her mother once more. "What am I doing here? Has Nate been arrested? Did he escape prosecution?"

"Gina brought you in," Cyrus answered her. "You fainted in her arms and yes, Nate has been arrested."

"He has?" Blair clarified to which all three of her visitors nodded. "Good. Does Chuck know?"

Cyrus and Aaron both glanced nervously at Eleanor who told her, "_He_ was the one who saved you Blair."

Blair crinkled her nose in confusion when realization suddenly hit her full force.

"He was the one who pulled me into the elevator," she whispered, pausing for a moment before she continued. "Wait. I remember hearing two gun shots before I fainted. Who was shot? Nate or Chuck?"

"Both of them," Aaron informed her grimly. "Nate and Chuck shot each other in the midst of a struggle."

"Oh my God!" Blair voiced, putting a hand over her open mouth. "Is Chuck ok? Is _Nate_?"

"I honestly don't understand how you could still find it in your heart to ask about that wretched boy," Eleanor told her. "I mean Nate of course."

"Because I know the whole story mother and regardless of the fact that he's made some big mistakes, I still want to believe that he has a good heart," she said truthfully. "Now, answer my question. Are they both ok?"

"Neither of them has woken up yet if that's what you mean," Cyrus revealed, a sadness in his voice. "Keep in mind though that they both just came out of surgery about an hour ago."

Blair breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his words. At least she knew that they were both in recovery and not dead like she had initially feared.

"Serena and Vanessa are here to see you as well," Eleanor announced as she stood up to leave. "Should I send them in?"

"Yes," Blair answered. "And will you tell daddy and Roman that I've woken up and that I'm fine?"

"Of course. Dorota will be around in case you need anything dear. You should be out of this hospital by the morning," her mother assured her as she took her leave, Cyrus and Aaron both following closely behind her.

Moments later, Serena and Vanessa both entered the room. The blond hesitated for a split second before running over to embrace her best friend.

"I should have known Blair," Serena told her. "I'm so sorry."

The brunette pulled back from their hug, disbelief written all over her face.

"You're being ridiculous S!" Blair chided her. "_None_ of us could have known. I should be the one apologizing. Near the end of my investigation, I had actually pinned _you_ down to be the murderer. What kind of best friend am I to have lost my faith in you so easily?"

Serena laughed a little through her tears.

"Well, you had every reason to be suspicious with me being so evasive and all," the blond assured her, biting her lower lip in hesitation before she continued. "Blair, about what Pete was blackmailing me with..."

"Don't," Blair stopped her. "You don't have to tell me S and frankly, I don't want to know. Just burn the tape. We'll put it behind us."

"Thank you," Serena replied gratefully as Dan barged into the room.

"Blair," he greeted her. "Thank God you're alright!"

He leaned in to hug her and then stepped back, giving Vanessa a smile.

"Congratulations," Blair voiced then, smirking at her ex-boyfriend.

"Thank you?" Dan asked in confusion, scratching his forehead.

Blair giggled and explained herself, "You and Vanessa are a couple now, right? I can tell by the way you two are looking at each other."

Vanessa glanced at her nervously as did Dan and Serena.

"I'm happy for you two," Blair assured them, a smile upon her lips. "I mean, nothing says true love like best friends in a bacon and eggs costume."

Everyone burst out laughing at this when Dan suddenly remembered something extremely important.

"Speaking of true love," Dan started, looking sheepishly at Blair. "I forgot to mention that Chuck just woke up."

"_Humphrey!_" Blair shouted, leaping up from her bed immediately. "What room is he in?"

"It doesn't matter. You can't leave this room Blair," Vanessa reminded her. "Doctor's orders."

"Well then make yourself useful and cover for me," Blair persisted as she approached the door.

"Dan, why don't you stay in here with Vanessa just in case the doctor comes back to check up on Blair? I'll go with her to see Chuck. We'll be back before you know it," Serena assured him.

"Why not? You two just go ahead," Vanessa encouraged them. "I could just slip into the washroom and pretend to be Blair if necessary."

"Fine. The fifth room to your right in the next hallway," Dan conceded after a moment of consideration to which Blair and Serena carefully slipped out of the room in response.

* * *

"Wait Blair," Serena stopped her the moment they were outside.

"What is it S?" Blair whispered, not wanting to get caught.

"I think I'm going to go join Jenny in front of Nate's room and wait for him to wake up if that's ok with you," she revealed uncertainly, waiting for her best friend's reaction.

Blair wrapped the blond into a tight hug in lieu of an actual answer. She could tell that Serena still loved him after all that he had done. The blond smiled in silent thanks of her approval and started to run in the other direction as Blair continued onward to _her_ destination. She turned the corner and started to count the rooms to her right when she saw him standing there at the threshold of his room arguing with a nurse.

"For the _last_ time, I want to know which room Blair Waldorf is in and I honestly don't _give_ a fuck that the doctor doesn't want me to leave my room!" Chuck shouted in frustration, grabbing his wounded chest in evident pain.

"Please keep your voice down Mr. Bass and you _really_ need to stay in bed. That bullet wound isn't going to miraculously heal itself," the nurse insisted.

"Chuck!" Blair called out to him before he could utter another word.

"Blair," he whispered, happier than he would admit to see that she was ok.

He tried to move towards her, but another dose of pain coursed through his body.

"You _really_ need to get back into bed Mr. Bass," the nurse urged, taking him by the arm.

"I'll do it," Blair insisted as she made her way over to his side.

The nurse observed her sceptically, knowing full well that _she_ should be in her room as well, but decided to let it slide just this once.

"For the record, I had no idea you escaped from your room Miss Waldorf nor did I see you sneak into Mr. Bass's room. Am I making myself clear?" asked the nurse, although she was smiling from ear to ear.

"Of course," Blair assured her, returning her smile as she tucked Chuck back into bed.

"Blair," Chuck started the moment the nurse had left to give them their privacy. "I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner. I should have listened to you in the first place and investigated Nathaniel. Things might have ended differently that way."

"Don't be ridiculous," she told him, placing a light kiss on his lips. "You _saved_ me Chuck. I might be dead right now without you. How did you know where I was?"

Chuck proceeded to tell her then about how he had opened the envelope that was meant for Nate. Inside, he had found a couple of photos and a handwritten note in which Andrew Tyler apologized once more for the mix up and informed Nate that the man in _these_ photos was his real father.

"I went into Nate's office after and searched around for a bit," Chuck continued. "I mean, I was just trying my luck of course, hoping that he had kept the initial envelope he had received. I eventually stumbled upon a folder he had hidden in between two of his cabinets. There were a few photos of Rufus Humphrey and from there, I was able to piece the puzzle together. I received your call right after. You have no idea how panicked I was when I realized that Nate was holding you at gunpoint through the phone. I called Gina immediately to get her to protect you, but she failed to answer my call. I had no choice but to take a good guess as to where you and Nate were. I ended up reasoning that you two must be at his apartment since Nate usually spends his days off there."

"Good guess," Blair commented, smiling at her own personal hero.

She then started to tell him _her_ side of the story when she was silenced by the feel of his hand upon her cheek.

"Blair," Chuck whispered, stroking her soft skin. "I actually thought I was going to lose you. While I was speeding over to the apartment to save you, all I could think about was how I might never be able to..."

"To what Chuck?" Blair wondered, placing her hand over his.

Chuck hesitated for a moment before he answered, "To tell you that I love you Blair."

The brunette continued to stare at him in shock as an unwanted silence took over the room.

"_Oh Christ!_" Chuck muttered when she failed to give a response. "I've just made a complete _idiot_ of myself!"

"_What?_" Blair inquired, snapping out of her reverie. "No! I love you too Chuck. I just...I never thought I would hear you say those words to me – at least not so soon."

She sealed her confession with a kiss and he deepened it, both of them getting lost in the moment. A few minutes later, Chuck pulled back, holding onto his chest in pain again.

"Oh God," Blair spoke up. "Are you ok?"

"I'll live," he assured her, giving her a wink. "You might have to play nurse for the next few weeks though Waldorf."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" she teased, a mischievous twinkle in her own eyes.

Suddenly, Eric and Jonathan strode into the room, closing the door quietly behind them.

"We hate to interrupt the moment," Eric started.

"We were eavesdropping," Jonathan blurted out at about the same time.

"As I was saying," Eric stated, glaring at his boyfriend for his outburst. "We hate to interrupt the moment, but we thought you two should know. Nate just woke up."

"Thanks Eric," Chuck responded before turning back to face Blair.

"Don't you want to see him?" Eric wondered curiously, although he could understand why his brother might not want to.

Chuck sighed and admitted, "I'm not ready to see him yet."

"I understand," Eric assured him. "But _no one_ can see him without you there; without your approval. Serena and Jenny desperately want to talk to him and so do Anne and Howard."

Chuck nodded his head in sympathy and requested for a piece of paper and something to write with. He then scribbled a few lines onto the page and signed his name, handing the tainted sheet over to his little brother.

"This should get all four of them in," Chuck told him. "And take my badge just in case ok?"

Eric nodded, giving his brother a tight hug before leaving the room.

"I'm glad you're ok," he whispered.

The moment the two boys had left, Chuck shifted over to the right side of the bed, motioning for Blair to get in next to him. Blair went over willingly and snuggled up to him, careful to avoid his wound, her head resting perfectly in the crook of his neck and her hand on his chest.

"Are you sure you don't want to see him yet?" she whispered softly.

He nodded and repeated, "I'm not ready to see him yet."

She didn't press the issue any further because she fully understood the position that he was in.

"I _am_ ready, however, to show you just how much I love you Waldorf," he teased, lightening the mood once more. "I have my handcuffs."

"You're heinous," she told him, poking him lightly in the chest.

"And you love me for it," he commented, wincing slightly at her gentle touch.

"I do," she said sincerely, shifting onto her elbows so that she could look him in the eyes. "I love you Charles Bartholomew Bass."

"I love you too Blair Cornelia Waldorf," he responded, tucking a rebellious curl behind her ear. "I love you too."

Their lips met once more and their tongues melded with one another, her uncontrollable moans perfectly synchronized with his own. An uncomfortable cough sounded from behind them and Blair immediately leaped off the bed and into a standing position at the noise.

"Miss Waldorf?" Dr. Parsons said, openly smirking at the redness in her cheeks. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to control your hormones and return to your room."

Blair glared at her boyfriend and rushed past the doctor in embarrassment as Chuck gave her a loving smirk of his own. God. He loved Blair Waldorf. He loved her so damn much.


End file.
